Anyone and Somebody
by Chakat StarDust
Summary: It all started with a simple letter, and now, years later, friendship has blossomed as they tell each other their secrets and dreams. They don't know the others' name, they don't know their face. Can such a friendship stand the ultimate test?
1. Chapter 1

Wolf: New story everyone! Enjoy!

Five year old Hao Asakura strolled through the beautiful Muskoka region of Ontario, Canada. The terrain was mostly rock with strong trees pushing up through the tough earth. This area had once been a mountain range, eons ago, and the rocks that still rooted here were all that were left of them.

He had been chasing a lead on another shaman to recruit, but it had gone as so many went, badly. Now he was just walking about, using the scenery to cool off some. It was early fall, but a stiff breeze came down from the north, rattling the already changing leaves.

Suddenly he paused, seeing something white sticking out of a small crevasse of the dark grey rock. Grumbling about littering humans he marched over and pulled it out. It was a single piece of lined paper, covered in writing. Being curious Hao decided to read it before throwing it out.

_To Anyone,_

_If you don't want to answer to this letter, please just put it back for someone else to find. If you do, just leave your answer in the same spot you found this one. _

_Hello, beautiful out here, isn't it? I love the fall, it's not too hot and buggy like summer is, and it's not cold like the winter. Do you like fall? I like the way the leaves change colour, I always collect the prettiest ones when fall comes. _

_By now you're wondering why I stuck this letter there for you to find, right? The truth is, I'm lonely. I don't have friends, at least not close ones. I guess I just want someone to talk to, that's all. If you don't want to talk to me, that's fine, just put this letter back where you found it. _

_If you do want to talk to me, just tell me about your life. Treat it like a real conversation, ask me questions, tell me about yourself, about your day, anything! We'll be like penpals, just a little different way of doing it I guess. _

_Thank you and goodbye for now._

_Signed,_

_Somebody_

Hao read the letter over, hearing the lonely cry of a child that simply wanted a friend in every word. He was sure it was a child, the writing was a scrawl, large and untidy. There were no spelling errors, but that could simply be the product of a well-schooled child. He thought that the child might be female, judging by the curls on their 'g' and 'y'. Smudges across the words indicated to him that the girl was also likely left-handed. 

He put the letter back where he found it, and continued on his way. But his mind kept returning to it all that day. He found himself in a corner store later on and purchased a notebook and a pen. Finding his way back to the rock he sat down and scribbled an answer to the letter, signing it simply 'Anyone'. He took the original and left his reply to be found, tucking it deep within the fissure so no one would find it. Slipping the girl's letter into his pocket he vanished into the fading day.

%&%&%&%

A week later he found himself going back to the letter. He had written back mostly as a joke, but now he couldn't stop thinking about how it would seem to a lonely girl if she got one reply and then never again. He finally sighed and calling up Spirit of Fire he brought himself to the spot in the woods.

He found the crevasse and pushed his hand inside. His fingers encountered paper, and he pulled out another letter from his mystery writer.

_Thank you Anyone,_

_I really wasn't sure if I'd actually get an answer at all, but you proved me wrong. Do you live close by, if you don't mind me asking? I live fairly close I guess, where, I will not say. I like it this way, neither of us knowing exactly who the other is, it's kind of fun, isn't it? _

_We're learning about the human body in school. It's interesting because there are so many different parts that all do different things and are all important to us. It's a bit like a machine, everything has to be working properly or the whole thing doesn't work._

_I saw a deer today. It isn't that excited, there's so many of them around here. But this one had a fawn with her, which was a real pretty little thing, I even got a picture of it. I drew one for you too. We eat deer, it's really good, but I still think they're pretty. _

_Where are you from? Are you from around here, or far away? You sound so much older than me. I know it's a letter, but you can tell some things about people by the way they write, you know? Well, anyways, I got to go, gotta go help Ma rake the yard. _

_Signed,_

_Somebody_

Hao smiled slightly, the letter was certainly a child's, with the feel of a child's ceaseless chatter in it. He took the piece of paper attached to the letter and looked it over with a critical eye. The drawing was good, for a child. She showed promise if she kept up with art. Hao felt slightly foolish sitting there reading a letter from a girl centuries younger than himself. Even so it felt good to be talking to someone, even if it was just in a letter. He tucked the letter into his clothes and sat perched on the rock to write his own letter back.

_Dear Somebody,_

_I think it is good to keep our identities from each other. This way we can be more honest with each other, and we can be unbiased, because we don't know who the other is._

_Your drawing is very good, especially for one so young. I think you should think about pursuing art in your future, but I suppose it is as of yet too early for you to be thinking of such things. I have eaten deer, and it is very good. They are pretty too, I cannot argue with that. Did you know that the males fight each other to win the favour of the females?_

_I am not really from any place I guess. I wander from place to place, I really have no home. I've been all over the world and seen such interesting things. I would tell you them right now, but the light is fading and I must go. _

_I await your letter in return._

_Anyone_

And so...it began.

Wolf: Review plz!


	2. Chapter 2

Wolf: I own nothing!

Years passed and Hao continued to write to his mystery girl, his Somebody. He watched her writing become less childish, the cursive turning sure and looping on the pages of writing. The smudges always stayed, giving them a certain charm. She continued to supply drawings with many of her letters, and her art evolved as well.

Hao grew as well, as did his ranks of followers. All of them wondered where he went each week, always the same day, always the same time, rain, shine, snow or sleet. None dared ask however, they knew that their master's business was his own. Hao knew it too, and that was the only reason he kept a folder filled with Somebody's letters at all.

He told her about his travels throughout the world, describing the scenery, the people, the sights, the smells and the sounds. He offered advice and encouragement when she seemed upset, and celebrated her little triumphs with her. Things that he found uninteresting and small with other people he saw with a different light through her eyes. It was like she had cast a spell on him, creating this one little place where the horrors of the world did not exist in such proportions as they did to him.

In return for his letters Somebody offered him a look at her everyday life; the friendship and sort of apprenticeship with the local blacksmith, her problem with the resident bullies, and her fascination with all things supernatural, to name a few things. She told him her secrets and her dreams, trusting in her child's way that he wouldn't tell a soul. But really, who would he tell?

Then one day, just after Hao had turned ten, he got this letter:

_Dear Anyone,_

_Do you think it's foolish and strange that I still believe in magic and the supernatural? The others laugh and tease me about it, how they found out, I'll never know. I trust your judgement, please tell me if I am being foolish or not._

_Thank you,_

_Somebody_

Hao read the short but pain-filled letter over again, mind in a whirl of trying to decide what to do. He had never told Somebody about being a shaman, he figured she wouldn't believe him, but now he had to decide whether or not to tell her or just give her a vague lecture about not caring about what other people think and following your own path.

He smirked; he didn't think he could muster up any of that feel-good shrink crap. He sighed to himself, the only thing he really could do was explain to her his abilities and hope for the best. And so he sat down and wrote.

_Dear Somebody,_

_It is never foolish to believe in something, never foolish to follow your heart. But, that is the ramblings of a shrink and not something I really want to get into. And so, I will tell you of myself and allow you to make a judgement on whether your beliefs are justified based on that._

_I am a shaman. Now what that means is that I can commune with the spirit world, unlike most people. Shamans have certain powers associated with this ability. One includes the ability to allow a spirit to possess my body, which allows me to use the abilities they had in life, as well as certain powers they developed after death._

_Another ability is the one where I can simply use a spirit's abilities simply by infusing them and an inanimate object, or objects with my power. Skilled shamans can even do such things as divination, exorcisms, and even control the time and place of their reincarnation. _

_I am one such shaman, but I will not brag about it. Such power can be tiring, and lonely. As of this moment I am preparing for the Shaman King tournament, a bi-millennial event that essentially holds the fate of the world in its hands. _

_Now, what do you believe?_

_Anyone_

Hao could hardly wait for the week to be over, he wanted to see what the response to the letter was. His followers noticed he was on pins and needles, but he simply brushed them off when they asked, very respectfully of course, if something was wrong. Truth be told he had no idea how Somebody was going to react to his letter, and it felt as though it were killing him.

When he got back to Muskoka, breathing in the fresh air just after a rainstorm, he immediately shoved his hand into their secret spot and brought out the letter he knew would be there. Only a few scrawled lines were visible on the page.

_Dear Anyone,_

_Please, please don't make fun of me. Please, I couldn't bear it if you did that too._

_Signed,_

_Somebody_

Hao was stunned. Of all the possibilities that he had considered as a reaction to his letter he had never considered that she would believe that he was making fun of her. He had considered scorn, disbelief, or, as he hoped, belief. But he supposed he should have thought about it.

Somebody had told him multiple times about the trouble she had with her classmates. It stood to reason she was more inclined to believe that someone was making fun of her; that's all she knew. Hao felt a sudden urge to burn anyone that had helped make her feel this way.

The sensation shocked him; Somebody was just another human. True he talked to her, but that didn't change the fact that she was just human, and below his notice. But feeling the pain in those simple words written on the page, he wasn't so sure.

He wanted to keep talking with her. She made him feel as though he had someone to be 'normal' with. None of his followers would understand, they were half afraid of him and viewed him as something like a god, which suited his purposes, but became very lonely. He needed to at least try to reassure her that he wasn't like those people that had hurt her, forgetting that if he were to be Shaman King, she would wind up dead by his hand.

_Dear Somebody,_

_There is no way that I can truly convince you that I am not trying to make fun of you, barring an actual visit. But as to our agreement I shall not even consider that option as it may cause this friendship to dissolve. _

_But, I want to tell you that you are my only true friend in this entire world. I would not sacrifice that just to poke fun at your beliefs, I am not that cruel. It would hurt me deeply if I did something to lose the friendship that we have with each other. Although it is a strange friendship, it is valid all the same, and believe me when I tell you that I will do nothing to jeopardize it._

_The one thing you can count on from me is that I will never, ever do anything to hurt you._

_Your Somebody_

It wasn't until Hao got back to the one of many houses scattered about the globe for his use that he realized something. He had bared all his emotions to this unknown girl, something he had never done with anyone ever before. And what's more... He had meant every single word.

Wolf: Review plz!


	3. Chapter 3

Wolf: I own nothing! Patience folks! We need to get the backstory in if things are going to make any sense at all, so bear with me! And for all that are confused, Somebody is not Yoh!

Four and a half more years passed, and Hao was in the winter of his fourteenth year. The Shaman King tournament would be coming up in a year or so, and his ranks had swelled considerably. His correspondence with his Somebody, as he had come to think of her, had not suffered, nor stopped since his revelation of being a shaman. It seemed that she trusted him more than he could imagine.

Over the last three years he had seen a maturation in Somebody that seemed to indicate that she was getting into her late teens. In the recent months Somebody had been relating to him the deterioration of her mother. She had gotten cancer, and was slowly, but surely dying. Hao knew this, but the letter that he found one day still felt like a punch in the gut.

_Dear Anyone,_

_The light has gone from my world today. My mother is dead, and with her she has taken all that is happy in my life. The very air seems to reflect my mood, it is cold and the sky is dark. My world has ended, and yet the world goes on, how can that be?_

_How can I go on with life, when it feels as though life is over?_

_Somebody_

Hao could see little water stains on the paper, where Somebody's tears had dripped down onto the page. He understood her pain, he too had lost his mother at a young age. The mere thought of her still brought tears to his eyes, though he never showed that old pain.

He felt the dull hopelessness in Somebody's words, and again understood. That emptiness stayed for all time, feeling as though there was something inside you that was missing, something important. It felt as though you couldn't live without it, and you were surprised when you found out that you could.

He sat down on the rock, he was glad it was so far back from the road, he wasn't concerned, but he really didn't want questions about why a young teenager was just hanging around, writing. He was unmindful of the cold, Spirit of Fire kept him warm, as he took out his paper, and his pen and began to write.

_Somebody,_

_There are no amount of words that can ever make the pain less, I know this. I also know that you have likely have had to deal with such phrases as 'she's in a better place', 'she'd want you to move on' and other such nonsense._

_I've been in your place before, and no one seems to understand that words are meaningless. Moving on is nearly impossible, you never can fully do it. You can learn to live without her, but there will always be that spot inside that's empty. _

_Know this, you are not alone, not yet. I am still here, I am still your friend. If you have nothing else to hold onto, hold onto that. Remember that when you feel like there's no one there. And remember never to forget your mother, keep her in your heart, in your head, it makes the pain a little easier to bear._

_Yours,_

_Anyone_

%&%&%&%

Somebody's letters continued to have a dark, hopeless feel to them over the next several months, even when she was trying to be happy. Hao could do nothing but simply be there to answer each and every one of her letters. The Shaman King tournament was to start in little more than a month, but he could not stop writing her, even for that. If he did, he was certain that she would simply give up.

Then one day, barely a month before the start of the first round of the Shaman King tournament he found a letter with a different feel to it.

_Anyone!_

_You will never guess what happened to me today! I was out in the woods, taking a walk, when I came upon a dragon! No fooling, it really was a dragon. It is about five feet tall at its shoulder, with a strong neck and wedge-shaped head adding another about a foot. It's all black-scaled with big, black, bat-like wings. _

_Its teeth are sharp and shark-like. It has big yellow eyes with slitted pupils. It has scaled ears that are oblong in shape and that move like a dog's in response to sound or emotion. Its body is muscular and powerful and it stands on four legs with paws ending in four sharp claws. Its tail is long and strong, with a fin-like structure on the end, although I think there might be something wrong with the fin._

_When I first saw him (I'll call it a him, it's easier) he was lying with his back to me, sleeping or unconscious. I saw his tail first, on one side the fin was intact, but on the other it looked like it had been sliced off by something. He seemed to have heard me by that point, because he woke up, spun around, unfurled his wings and hissed at me. _

_He tried to fly off, but crashed moments after take-off. I think his hurt tail fin has something to do with it. Dear Anyone I don't like it that he's hurt and can't fly and I want to help him. But he doesn't want anything to do with me. I know that if I tried I could make a new fin for him, but he'd have to let me close in order to get it on him. _

_You seem to have all the answers when it comes to the supernatural and magical. What do I do? Please tell me, I think he's hungry too._

_Yours, _

_Somebody_

A slow smile, the only time he ever truly smiled was when he was reading Somebody's letter, crossed Hao's face at the letter. It seemed that Somebody had finally found something to bring her out of that dark place that she had placed herself in. Hao was glad, and he was glad that she had come to him looking for a solution.

_Dear Somebody,_

_If he's hungry leave food out for him. The best thing to make any sort of animal trust you is to show you mean no harm to them. One way to do this is to leave food for them. As you do this more he will trust you more, and you'll be able to get closer to him. Always respect his boundaries, and when he lets you know he's uncomfortable with how close you are, stop. Try talking to him too, to get him used to you. _

_Good luck._

_Anyone_

%&%&%&%

Over the next few months Somebody continued to relay her experiences with her dragon, whom she began referring to affectionately as her buddy. Hao listened as Buddy learned to trust her slowly and then completely to allow her to rig a harness to attach a mechanical fin that she used her blacksmithing skills learned when she was a child to make.

He listened as she discovered a new problem with the fin, that it had to be able to move into different positions to allow him to fly. She remedied this problem by rigging a system that she could control the fin's movement. This though meant that she had to be flying on Buddy in order for him to fly. She had explained this to him, because he seemed to understand, and when she had shown him the saddle she had made for him he had lowered himself to the ground, a look of trust in his yellow eyes.

Hao learned of the joy that she discovered in flying. He learned how she felt as though she and Buddy were one, a team when they were flying, because each of them depended on the other to fly. One day, just after the first round of the Shaman King tournament, Hao received a new letter.

_Dear Anyone,_

_I'm going to do it! Me and my Buddy are going to see the world. I got my things all packed, and the money left from Mom all with me, and we are going to fly around the world. I have so many things I want to see, and so many things that Ma always wanted to see. I have to make this journey I think, for her. I'm going to let her ashes go wherever I go, so that she can see the world finally too._

_Because of this I will not be at our spot often enough to leave letters. I do have an email address all set up though, there's always an internet cafe somewhere wherever I go. My email is sombodytotalkto. Please send me an email on that to let me know that we will still be able to chat._

_Adios,_

_Somebody_

Hao read the letter over, and then sighed. It seemed that as much as he had tried to avoid the technology of the twenty-first century, it was catching up to him. He sighed again, he couldn't very well ask one of his followers, that would simply force him to lose face in front of them, and he couldn't afford that. So much of his power over them had to do with awe and fear, and he couldn't let that go.

He decided to go to the local library in order to figure things out. He wore normal clothes so that he did not stand out so much. He spent some time secretly watching the other people do their thing on the computer, particularly when they were checking their various forms of email. When he felt he had a good grasp of the situation he sat down and connected to the internet.

It was surprisingly idiot-proof, the process of getting an email address. He chose the name anyonetolisten as his address and sent a quick reply and congratulations to Somebody before getting up and walking out. A slow smirk formed on his face as he walked back to his current abode; tremble in fear world, Hao Asakura was online!

Wolf: Buddy looks a lot like Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, that's where the idea came from. Review plz!


	4. Chapter 4

Wolf: I own nothing but my soon to be actually appearing, brand-new OC!

Hao awoke in an instant. Not gradually becoming aware, but wakefulness leaping up at him, forcing his eyes open wide and his mind into consciousness. He sat up slowly on the cool rock floor that he found himself on and allowed his thoughts to untangle in order to figure out what had happened to him.

It came back to him slowly; the Shaman Fight, going after the Great Spirit, Yoh... Hao's eyes narrowed; that was all he could remember really, was Yoh leaping up at him, the power and hopes of all the shamans that knew him in his hands and then pain...nothing but pain.

He could fill in most of the blanks himself. He had managed to get away, transport himself with the help of Spirit of Fire to somewhere safe. He must have done a healing on himself and then fallen into a deep sleep, his body trying to recover the energy lost in the fight and the healing. The only things he could not know were where exactly he was, and how long he'd been there.

Another thought occurred to him then; how long had Somebody been waiting without an answer to her weekly emails? He stood up, ignoring the dizziness and the roar of his stomach for a moment to walk to the front of the cave. He emerged into night-time. Closing his eyes he searched for any shamans in the area.

There were at least a hundred of them; indicating to Hao that the Shaman King tournament had gone on. He opened his mouth to call for Spirit of Fire but all that came out was a dry croak. He frowned and then grimaced at the feel of dust caked on his tongue, on his whole body in fact. As Spirit of Fire came to him, holding out its massive hand he thought to himself 'wash first, answers later'.

Not too long afterwards he was walking through the silent hot springs, all too ready for a bath. He found an empty spot that suited him and went about discarding his clothes. He grimaced again having a look at them; every article had at least splashes of blood on it. Looking down at his chest Hao saw why. A healed, pink scar stretched from his collarbone to his navel. It must have been a terrible wound, for his healing to have left even this reminder of it.

He sighed as he slipped into the hot water, letting his thoughts drift as he lazily washed his body clean. When he was done, feeling a little more like his usual self again, he leaned against the edge of the spring, thinking. He would have to repay Yoh for the wound, and his interference of course, and he also needed to find clothes...and a computer.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps drawing near to him. Hao didn't look up, though he was annoyed at being disturbed. Then, a soft, sharp inhalation made him turn slightly. Yoh stood there, staring down at him, wide-eyed. Hao gave his brother a nasty smirk, thinking that he would be able to pay Yoh back sooner than he thought.

Yoh took a tiny step back and Hao was gratified to see the younger twin swallow nervously. However Yoh seemed to shake it off and stepped into the hot spring, shedding his white yukata. Yoh said nothing as he slid down until only the top of his head, eyes and nose showed above the water. Hao had forgotten how many scars Yoh had, and for some reason they now made him feel uncomfortable.

He tried to get a sense of what was going on in Yoh's mind, but he couldn't get in. It frustrated him that Yoh had figured out how to get around his mind reading abilities. He huffed and gave Yoh a sideways glance. He suddenly noticed the dark shadows around Yoh's eyes, like he hadn't been sleeping. Finally Hao spoke.

"How long?" Yoh jerked slightly and his eyes opened. Slowly he sat up so that he was chest deep in the water.

"Two weeks." Yoh replied quietly, turning to meet Hao's eyes. Hao was taken aback by the raw pain in Yoh's dark eyes. Yoh looked away again, chestnut bangs falling over his face, shadowing it. "I'm sorry."

For a moment Hao was stunned, unable to say a word. Then hot, boiling anger rose up inside him. "Sorry? Sorry? What the hell is wrong with you?" Yoh said nothing, just stared at him. "You just found out that your plan, your goal to destroy me has failed and you say that you're sorry?" It just made no sense to Hao at all, and it made him angry. But Yoh's next words were like water over fire, dousing his anger.

"You really don't know me at all, do you?" Yoh looked Hao in the eye again, not flinching as Hao narrowed them warningly. "You act all high and mighty, but you know nothing. I never, ever wanted to kill you."

"Then why did you try?" Hao demanded. Yoh inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. He shifted himself and Hao suddenly noticed bruises on his upper arms, like someone had grabbed him roughly. Yoh opened his eyes and turned again to Hao.

"It was either stop you, or allow you to destroy the human race." He said slowly, softly. "One life, or billions. I chose the lesser of two evils." Yoh closed his eyes again and then stood up abruptly, walking out of the bath. "It's good to see you well, Hao." He said as he disappeared into the night.

Hao sat in the water for a long time after his brother had left, thoughts in complete turmoil. Nothing about that conversation had felt...right. Yoh was usually such a pest, asking questions, chattering incessantly, but tonight he had been subdued, quiet. Then there were the shadows in and around his eyes, had Yoh not been sleeping?

His mind then flicked to the bruises on Yoh's arms. Training wounds, he tried to convince himself, but even that seemed wrong. An image came to him of someone shaking a small child, hands on their upper arms, squeezing tight in anger. The image faded and Hao frowned in confusion; why would someone do that to Yoh? And who would do it?

Shaking his head in an attempt to clear it he pulled himself out of the bath. Making a face at the pile of dirty clothes on the floor he took one of the spring's robes down and tied it around himself until he could find proper clothes. He pushed thoughts of his brother out of his head, it wasn't important, he told himself. But a small, persistent part of himself wondered if that was really true.

He walked to the house that he had commandeered for him and his followers, feeling the various energies of those followers still there. Quietly he slipped into the house and up to the room designated as his. He pulled out new clothes and took out his file folder filled with notes from Somebody. He could not sleep, but seriously doubted the local internet cafe would be open. He chose instead to read through all the letters he had gotten over the past several years as he waited for the morning.

%&%&%&%

When the sun finally touched the horizon Hao could no longer ignore the yowling of his stomach and slipped silently into the kitchen to prepare himself a simple breakfast, taking care not to make too much noise. When his followers finally did wake he was sitting nonchalantly at the table, sipping a cup of tea.

"HAO-SAMA!" Macchi shrieked, jumping up and down like a Mexican jumping bean. The rest of Hao's followers murmured in surprise and awe.

"Hao-sama, you're back." Kanna whispered. None of his followers dared ask where he'd been, afraid of his reaction Hao knew. That suited him just fine.

"I am. So tell me, is the Shaman King tournament still going on?"

"Yes, Hao-sama." Bill replied. "Once repairs are finished of course and everyone that might have gone home has come back."

"I see." Hao said thoughtfully. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to."

%&%&%&%

"Hey Yoh." Silva greeted as the young Asakura walked into the internet cafe. Silva looked at Yoh's haggard face. "No sleep again last night, huh?" Yoh shook his head. Silva sighed and shoved a steaming mug of coffee at Yoh. Lately coffee had been the only thing that kept Yoh going, after getting as little sleep as he was.

Suddenly Silva let out a surprised little gasp. Yoh blinked and looked at him. Silva was staring towards the door. Yoh turned back to see Hao sauntering in, heading to the most remote computer in the cafe.

"He's alive?" Silva whispered.

"Apparently." Yoh said without much interest.

"Seems as though he's determined to keep his routine." Silva chuckled.

"What's that mean?" Yoh asked, confused.

"Well, every week he's always come in, same day, same general time, and gone on the computer for a few minutes, typed something up, printed something and then left."

"Do you know what he was doing?" Silva gave Yoh an incredulous look.

"You really think he's going to tell anyone that?"

Hao ignored the whispers that he knew were about him in favour of getting online and letting Somebody know that he was alright. The first unread email was an account of her and her Buddy's night flight and perch on the Great Wall of China, as well as Buddy's first, and funny, encounter with a panda bear. The second had a bit more of a desperate feel to it, Somebody asking him why he hadn't responded to her email.

Hao hurriedly typed in an apologetic email, telling her only that because of his shamanic abilities that he had been laid low for the last couple weeks and could only just get out in order to answer her email. It wasn't entirely untrue and therefore Hao was satisfied with the answer.

He printed off her two letters to him after sending his own and then headed out of the store, pausing only to favour Yoh and Silva with a sizzling glare. He smirked as he came out into the hot sun; everything was back to rights in the world.

Wolf: Review plz!


	5. Chapter 5

Wolf: I own nothing, except my OCs.

Kat Blackthorn narrowed her eyes at the instrument in her hands. Growling softly she shook it, but that had no effect on it.

"ARAWR?" She looked down at the jet-black dragon she was riding; one of the only two friends she had in this world.

"The GPS is going screwy Buddy, don't know where we are." She said to him, yelling to be heard over the wind.

"GRAW?" Buddy asked, shaking his head slightly.

"It's probably the batteries." Kat answered. She drew her jacket a little more firmly around her. It was summer, but the heat did nothing for someone flying amongst the clouds. She narrowed her eyes at the ground and then adjusted her foot to have Buddy's tail fin tip so that they dropped lower slightly.

Her device was a simple, yet some would say genius design. The artificial tail fin was simply constructed of metal and stiff fabric made to look and act like the tail fin. The device attached to a pedal at Buddy's side, which Kat operated with her foot. The change in position of the pedal changed the position of the fin and thus how Buddy flied.

"Hmm, that looks like a village down there." She said, fiddling with her aviator goggles as she stared down at the valley floor below. They were somewhere in the southern states of America, that was all that she really knew at the moment. "Why don't we land in the forest and I'll go see if anyone can tell us where we are, and maybe stock, hm?"

Buddy let out a growl-cough of agreement and the two of them shot down to the forest floor below, keeping themselves a fair distance from the actual village. Kat unclipped herself from the saddle on Buddy's back and slid off. She undid the harness around her torso and adjusted the straps on her backpack.

"Ok, Buddy, you stay here, right?" Buddy nodded at her. "I should only be an hour or two, if I'm not back by nightfall come looking, alright?" Buddy nodded again and then nuzzled her affectionately. Kat scratched his head and then headed in the direction of the village.

About twenty minutes later she was starting to see what a village that looked a lot like the Adobe cliff-dwellers' village she and Buddy had seen some time ago. She frowned though, she knew they couldn't be in that area, and besides, she could see far too many figures wandering around it. All the sudden a huge arm clamped around her middle, pinning her arms to her sides. Before she could scream a massive, rough hand pressed tightly over her mouth, sealing in any sound. A deep, merciless voice spoke from above her

"We'll take this human to Hao-sama."

%&%&%&%

Hao watched the girls spar with each other in preparation for the re-opening of the Shaman King tournament in the next couple of days. They were in the woods, close to a fairly small, but steep cliff. He glanced up as a few people shoved their way through the bushes ringing the small clearing. He raised his eyebrow at Big Guy Bill, who had a struggling young woman his arms.

"Well, Bill, what do you have there?" He asked in a casual tone. The girl opened her eyes then and stared at him in surprise. She had big blue-grey eyes that were shining with unshed tears. Bill put her down and grasped her hair in one massive hand. Her hair was light-brown and cut just above her ears in a pixie style cut. Freckles marched across her dainty nose and on the apples of her tanned cheeks.

She was fairly small, only about 5'6 and skinny. She looked a little bedraggled dressed in mud-spattered jeans, a green army jacket and a white t-shirt. Bill pulled the tattered, coloured on and keychain and button speckled blue camping backpack off the girl's back and tossed it to Hao. The girl seemed agitated by this and tried to move forward, but stopped when Bill jerked on her captive hair.

"Interesting how a human got in here." Hao said idly, dark eyes fixed on the girl's face. "Seeing as the spells should keep your kind out."

"My kind, what does that mean?" The girl asked in a shaky voice.

"Humans, those not blessed with shamanic abilities, the scourge of this planet." The girl recoiled as much as she could from the venom in Hao's voice, eyes wide and terrified. "So, how did you get in here, human?"

Hao was surprised to see some of the fear go out of the girl's eyes and her narrow jaw lock stubbornly. It seemed that she wasn't willing to tell him how she had gotten here. Hao tried to see inside her mind but was startled to find only a strange, buzzing block around her thoughts. The strange thing was, the source of the block did not seem to be her own mind, but something else entirely.

"Not going to tell us, are you?" The girl trembled slightly, sensing the danger in Hao's words, but still kept her mouth shut. "No matter, if your tongue hasn't loosened by the morning then you will be killed." Hao said dismissively. "We'll stay out here tonight." He instructed his followers. "We don't need questions." He instructed his followers to bind the girl's hands together, but nothing else. Where would she go even if she did manage to escape after all?

Hao separated himself from his followers as day became night, choosing a spot close to the cliff's edge with a good view of the stars. As the sun dipped below the horizon he began to rummage in the girl's backpack, thinking it might have the answer he was looking for. He pulled out a water bottle, clothing, feminine products, dehydrated food packets and an assortment of other regular items that one would take along if they were roughing it.

At the back of the bag he found a sketchbook and a tattered binder. The sketchbook he set to one side in favour of the binder. Opening it up, he found it bursting with papers. His eyes lit over the first handwritten, faded and torn page and froze in shock. His own handwriting leapt up at him from the page, words he had written so long ago whispering to him from faded ink.

He paged through the rest of the binder. They were all there, every single one of his letters to his Somebody. He closed the binder and carefully replaced everything inside the backpack. That done he took a deep breath and sat down with his knees curled to his chest and rested his head against his knees, trembling slightly.

That was his Somebody out there, tied up and waiting for the morning, when he had been planning to kill her no matter if she had told him how she had gotten to the valley or not. But he couldn't kill her now, could he? He thought about that for a moment. If he didn't kill her he'd lose face in front of his followers and be a hypocrite to his own goal of destroying the human race.

But...this was Somebody he was talking about. The only true friend he had in the world, he couldn't kill her, couldn't take away the one thing that kept him sane, in this world of darkness, she was the one light that kept him from completely becoming lost. In a strange way she was the one that held his tattered, fraying strings of sanity from snapping completely.

His mind kept going round and round, arguing with himself until he was quite weary and let out a low moan of confusion and pain. He lifted his face up to the stars and tried to forget, but also tried to think of how to solve this terrible conundrum.

All the sudden a large shadow flitted across the stars, blotting them out for a moment. Hao blinked and stared harder, but it was gone. Just as he was about to give up on trying to see it appeared again, a large shape with massive wings just blotting out the stars with its darkness. In the next instant something zoomed low over his head, heading for the clearing.

A deep, furious roar sounded behind Hao and he got up and moved quickly towards the sound. The fire had gone out in the clearing and all he could see was that huge shape twisting, snarling and growling at his followers while the girl...no, Somebody, got on its back. Once she was on the shape bunched and then lunged into the bushes, racing into the night.

"What was that thing?" Kanna yelled, terror in her voice. Hao said nothing, though he knew. He had just had his first encounter with Buddy. His followers began to make plans to try to find Somebody and Hao left them to it. He knew they wouldn't be able to find her, not when she had her dragon to protect her.

He went back to the backpack and looked at it. It was Somebody's treasure, he knew that now. The binder inside was the reason for her agitation at losing it. She would be back for it.

%&%&%&%

Buddy nudged Kat anxiously as she eased through the bushes to where she could see the boy who had threatened her curled up in sleep. Her backpack was a little ways away from him. Buddy nudged her again, and tugged at her sleeve.

"Buddy stop." She hissed. "I know it's dangerous, but I need that backpack. I can't lose Anyone's letters." Buddy snuffled, but let go of her sleeve all the same. Kat edged closer and then picked up a small rock. Biting her lip she threw it onto the rocky ground near the cliff. She winced at the loud sound it made, but the shape next to the burned down fire did not stir.

Hao was awake, but he made no move as he heard Somebody creep even closer. He had purposely left the backpack out so that she could get to it. A sandpapery whisper of fabric on rock told him that she had it. He heard her whisper to Buddy and then a flap of wings signalled the takeoff. Hao turned over to watch the dark shape's progress across the sky.

"Goodbye, my Somebody."

Wolf: I own nothing!


	6. Chapter 6

Wolf: I own nothing!

Yoh stared up at the ceiling as he waited for Anna to come in to wake him up. He had been awake for hours once more, shaken out of sleep by terrible nightmares and then unable to slide back into sleep. He closed his sore eyes, he was so tired of this, tired of everything it felt like sometimes, but he knew no way to cast away the burdens that had been handed to him.

"YOH!" Yoh sat up at Anna's call. He went to the door and opened it. Apparently Anna hadn't expected him to rise so quickly because she was still standing there. Yoh had to look down to look at her, and he did so in surprise. He had known that he was growing, but he hadn't realized how much until now. He towered at least a head over Anna now.

It seemed that she was surprised as well as she looked up, open-mouthed. She quickly regained her composure and glared at him. "You know the drill." She snapped. "Now get to it." Yoh nodded and closed the door so that he could get dressed.

Once he was in sweatpants and a t-shirt and his training weights secured on his wrists and ankles he trekked downstairs and headed for the door. "So, figured out how to get rid of Hao for real this time?" Yoh halted and shook his head at his grandfather, who was sitting reading the newspaper. "Hmph. Useless."

Yoh flinched at the words, but a part of him rebelled at the words. _'Why does it have to be me who has to do it?' _He didn't say the words out loud though, he knew too well what could happen if he did. He was in enough trouble as it was.

He headed out the front door and jogged down the empty lane. His first stop is the cafe; he needed a jolt if he was going to train, and Anna would never let him get away with eating first before training. He found that counterproductive since being in health class and learning that the food you ate gave you the energy to get through your day. He didn't say that to Anna however, that would have been suicide.

"hey Yoh." Silva greeted cheerfully. "The usual?"

"Yeah." Yoh said, sitting down on one of the bar stools. Silva pushed a mug of coffee in front of the young shaman and took a good look at him. Yoh's skin was paler than what was natural for him, and was also very dry, the skin on his knuckles having cracked, making them look raw. Yoh had gotten thinner, and not in a healthy way though his muscle definition had certainly improved. His hair was dull and lank.

"Doesn't your family say anything about how awful you look?" Yoh raised an eyebrow at him. "Seriously Yoh, do you ever look in a mirror? You look like death warmed over."

"I doubt they care if they do notice. All they care about is that I do my 'duty' to the family." Silva raised an eyebrow at the bitter tone of Yoh's voice.

"You're not acting like yourself lately, are you sure you're ok?" Yoh looked up into Silva's worried eyes and tried for a reassuring smile.

"I am acting like myself, just a different side than you're used to. Even I am subject to negative emotions."

"I suppose so, it's just odd to see them with you, because you're usually so easy-going." Silva replied. They both looked up as the bell above the door jangled. Hao trooped in, ignoring them like the last time, but Yoh thought that it didn't seem to be a deliberant act this time. Silva turned away, puttering around in the kitchen but Yoh kept his eyes on Hao. He got the sense that there was something on Hao's mind, something distracting him.

'_Looks like I'm not the only one not acting like myself.'_ Yoh thought to himself as Hao sat down at his usual computer station. When Hao went to type whatever it is he typed Yoh saw his hands hesitate, hovering over the keys. He seemed to be having some kind of internal conflict with himself as he sat there, frozen.

Finally Hao seemed to snap out of it and began to type, but Yoh observed that it was slowly, almost reluctantly. When he was done Hao printed something off as usual, but as he got up he forgot to take the printout and simply headed to the door. Yoh looked down at his coffee and then spoke as Hao drew abreast of him.

"You forgot your printout." The footsteps halted and Yoh looked up to meet Hao's eyes. For a moment the mask that Hao usually wore slipped and Yoh saw surprise in Hao's eyes. Then they hardened and Hao turned to grab the single piece of paper, stowing it in his pocket. He headed again for the door and then paused with his hand on the handle. He looked back as though, looking as though he were going to say something, but then simply shook his head and left.

%&%&%&%

Yoh watched Hao closely for the next week, noticing the same vagueness plaguing the older twin throughout the days. He took long walks on his own, so lost in thought that he never noticed Yoh following him, and he no longer baited the X-Laws, of whom Lyserg had rejoined, to Yoh's dismay, since Hao's return. Hao had failed to even kill his opponents in the Shaman fight that had taken place only a couple days ago.

Yoh sat up in bed, still unable to sleep. He stared out at the stars that he could see out his window, thoughts returning to Hao's sudden change in attitude. Finally he sighed, thinking that if he was going to be awake anyways he might as well make use of it. He shrugged off his yukata and pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt then slipped out his window and into the night.

He padded barefoot out of the sleeping village and up to the nearby cliff. Coming out of the trees he halted, someone was already occupying his favourite spot to star-gaze. It was Hao. Yoh considered backing off and finding somewhere else to sit, but then an idea came to him. It was crazy, and Hao would probably become furious for even suggesting it, but Yoh had to try it.

Hao didn't even notice him until he sat down beside his older twin, dangling his feet over the edge of the cliff. "Good evening." Yoh said evenly as Hao turned to look at him, eyes inscrutable. He said nothing, preferring to turn his head away to regard the stars once more. Yoh sat in silence for a moment with him, mustering the courage to ask the question that he was burning to know the answer to.

"So, what's eating you?" Hao's head whipped around so fast Yoh thought he heard the tendons creaking and glared hotly at Yoh.

"Excuse me?" He demanded furiously. "What makes you even think that there's something 'eating me'?" Yoh shrugged his shoulders.

"You've been acting kind of...off lately." He explained quietly. "You seem distracted, preoccupied with something on your mind." Hao gave him a blank look, clearly unwilling to give into Yoh's logic. "For example, when I sat down just now, normally you would snap at me, or glare, but you did nothing at all and you haven't chased me away yet, or called me names, so obviously there's something pulling you out of sorts."

Hao's angry frown grew deeper. This was the moment Yoh was afraid of; how would Hao retaliate? "What makes you think that even if there was something wrong, that I would tell you?" Hao simply demanded harshly. "So that you could spread it around, drag me through the mud?" Yoh shook his head slightly.

"You really don't know me, do you?" He sighed regretfully. "Am I the kind of person that derives pleasure from hurting someone else?" Hao remained silent, lips locked in a thin, tight line in his face. "I know you don't think I know much about anything but I do know that if you don't talk to people about problems in your life that you'll go crazy."

"And what makes you think I don't talk to someone?" Hao's growl had little bite in it, and Yoh took that as a good sign to forge onwards.

"Hao, who would you talk to that would understand?" Yoh asked. "Your followers think of you as a go, you can't afford to lose face in any of their minds, so you can't talk to them. And besides that, who else is there in your life?" Yoh had Hao cornered, he knew it. "The person that you need to talk to has to be able to think of you just as another person, not as a god, a saviour, or even a monster, just another person."

"And you're that person?" Hao's voice was mocking, but Yoh didn't flinch away from the tone.

"I am." He replied firmly. "I always have." This visibly shocked Hao and Yoh watched him struggle to hide the emotions trying to flit across his face. As much as Hao tried to remain mostly emotionless he did slip sometimes, and Yoh had learned to watch for those slips to figure out how Hao was really feeling. And right now he could see that Hao was struggling with a strange mixture of rebelliousness and a kind of hope.

"So you want me to spill my guts, as it were, to you?" Hao was still unconvinced. "Why would you even want to know, if you're not planning to use the information?"

"Because you're my brother, and it...hurts me I guess to see you looking so...lost." Yoh knew he was straying into dangerous territory, but he hoped given Hao's current state of mind that it would go unpunished.

"Lost..." Hao repeated, lapsing into silence. Yoh could feel him thinking in that silence.

"Ok, here's the whole deal." He said, looking Hao straight in the eye. "When we're alone together we act as though we're actual brothers, and what brothers do is tell each other what's wrong with them. When we're not alone we act as we always do, what happens between the two of us does not affect that. Does that seem fair?"

"Am I hearing that you will be telling me things as well?" Yoh nodded his head. Hao looked away from him out over the valley. "What? You can't talk to all those stupid little friends of yours?" The words stung, but on so many complicated layers.

"Not anymore I can't." Hao's head swung back to him and he stared. Yoh looked down at his dangling feet, feeling Hao really look at him. He knew he looked horrible and the barely audible, sharp intake of breath told him that Hao was now seeing it too.

Yoh looked up at the sky and closed his sore eyes, wishing he could sleep. A shift of cloth beside him told him that Hao had looked away again. Yoh sighed and stood up slowly. Hao stared up at him, face revealing nothing.

"Just think about it." Yoh appealed quietly before turning back to try to fall asleep again. He was so very tired.

Wolf: Review plz!


	7. Chapter 7

Wolf: I own nothing but my little ocs!

Hao hardly slept that night, his mind arguing back and forth over Yoh's proposal. A large part of him scoffed at the idea, convinced that Yoh only wanted dirt on him. Another, smaller part was not convinced however and pointed out that Yoh, except for the incident with the Great Spirit, had never tried to hurt him before, despite everything that Hao had put him through.

Hao stood up to have a look at himself in the mirror, why he did not know. Impassive onyx eyes stared back at him, the thoughts veiled to all who looked. He had his poncho off and so could see the long pink scar upon his chest. He had forgotten about repaying Yoh for giving it to him, but in light of Yoh's offer it somehow didn't seem right. He thought that it would serve as a reminder not to lose his temper in the future.

As the sun reclaimed its kingdom in the sky Hao still could not get Yoh's offer out of his head. He didn't bother talking to any of his followers; he simply walked out of the house, needing time alone. He could feel his followers' confusion, but at the current he couldn't bring himself to care what they were thinking of him.

He walked through the village, pretty much ignoring everyone else around. Soon he saw Yoh sitting with a group of his friends and unconsciously his steps grew slower as he discreetly eyed his younger twin. Yoh seemed to feel his scrutiny and turned, meeting Hao's eyes. A fleeting, tentative smile flitted across Yoh's face before he turned back to the conversation at hand.

That smile weakened Hao's resolve. Yoh was right, Hao really knew nothing about his brother, he'd never taken the time to try, and after all, Yoh was simply a source of power, wasn't he? He found he wasn't so sure anymore. He also found, inexplicably, an urge to now get to know Yoh better, if only to dispel the confusion surrounding his actions.

He headed out of the village and up to the cliff he and Yoh had been at last night. It also happened to be the place that he had discovered Somebody's letters in his captive's bag. He hadn't been himself since that night, and he realized now that part of the problem was that he couldn't talk about it. He had no way of letting out his frustrations and getting advice from someone.

Yoh was right, who would he talk to? His followers certainly wouldn't understand about his qualms about killing a human; after all, his plan was to eradicate them all. He could talk to his spirit, but that would be more like talking at the Spirit of Fire, because it couldn't really answer back. Yoh understood about friends, he understood how relationships worked. Hao hadn't had any sort of relationship with anyone since his first life and he wasn't even really sure how to make them work anymore.

His pager beeped at him. He looked down at it without much interest, but then saw that it was Yoh fighting with his team and decided to go and watch. He was interested to see how Yoh would fight when Hao knew that he was tired beyond belief. He walked down away from the cliff and to the arena to watch.

The rest of Hao's teams were already there, waiting for the main event to start. He could hear the thoughts of wondering why he was late but brushed them aside, sitting down instead. He could see his brother on the arena floor already, looking very small from this height. Yoh was hanging back a bit, allowing Ryu and Faust to take the forefront.

No one else around him seemed to notice it but throughout the fight Yoh would more set up his opponents to be taken out by either Ryu or Faust rather than use his own moves. Hao thought that Yoh might be conserving energy in such a way that it still looked as though he were fighting. He wondered if the acting would be enough to fool Anna and Yoh's family, or if Yoh would wind up in trouble.

'_More trouble.'_ Hao amended, thinking of the bruises he'd seen in the hot springs. It vexed him that he suddenly found himself caring about how Yoh had gotten those bruises and, for good measure, why he looked like crap all around. It was strange, but then again his life had gotten very strange, for him anyways.

%&%&%&%

Hao sat on the edge of the cliff that night, the binder with Somebody's letters on his knees. Truth be told his stomach was twisting itself into anxious knots about the whole thing. He didn't know if he could trust Yoh, and he sure as hell wasn't sure if this wasn't just a plot to get him out in the open to kill him. _'What's the harm in trying?' _That small voice inside him had whispered to him and amazingly he had decided to listen.

Presently he heard footsteps approach. His entire body stiffened, waiting for an attack or something, but Yoh merely sat beside him letting out a low, tired sigh. Hao turned to regard his brother and felt a strange, sick jolt go through him at the sight of a new, livid purple bruise on the side of Yoh's face. Without realizing what he was doing he reached out one gloved hand for Yoh's face.

Yoh whipped around so fast Hao didn't see it happen until his arm was caught in a hard grip just inches from Yoh's face. Yoh stared at him, eyes wide. Hao could see fear in them, but of what he couldn't say. Slowly Yoh seemed to realize what he'd done and let go of Hao's arm, turning away.

"Sorry." Yoh murmured to him. Hao said nothing, unsure really of what to say. Instead of words he lifted the binder off his knees and set on Yoh's lap. Yoh blinked down at it and then looked at him. Hao stared back impassively, though inside he was twitching with nerves. Yoh turned back to the binder and then opened it.

Hao turned away as Yoh read. He could hear the younger twin flipping the pages, though not a word passed either of their lips. At one point he heard Yoh sigh softly in gentle sorrow and he knew that he was reading when Somebody had lost her mother. Finally Yoh closed the binder softly and handed it back to Hao.

"How long have you been writing her?" So Yoh had surmised that Somebody was a girl as well.

"Since I was five in this life." Hao replied, shaking his head to get the hair out of his eyes and staring up at the sky.

"And you've never met her in person?"

"I did, once, though I didn't know until later, and then I couldn't figure out a way to tell her then." Hao replied. He turned his head to watch Yoh's forehead crease. He was being cryptic again; he still wasn't sure about telling Yoh everything. He watched in surprise as Yoh's eyes went vague, the way they did when he was with his friends and not really listening anymore.

But he suddenly understood something looking at his twin; Yoh wasn't going space-cadet, he was actually thinking! Shutting out the rest of the world seemed to be Yoh's way of concentrating on his thoughts. Hao thought that if he hadn't found this out, chances were not many people had, and since Yoh didn't act that smart they had no way of suspecting it.

"She came to this valley, didn't she? And you, or your disciples, wound up capturing her." Yoh finally speculated. Hao blinked at him, surprised despite himself at Yoh's clarity.

"Yes." He said simply in reply.

"You didn't kill her though?" Hao jerked violently and stared at Yoh wide-eyed, completely forgetting about maintaining his composure. Kill his Somebody? "I'm guessing that would be a big no." Yoh said in reply to his look. "So you realized before you did anything drastic?" Hao nodded again, not trusting his voice. "Did you tell her who you were?" Hao jerked again.

"How could I? I had just told her she was going to be killed at daybreak and that humanity was the scourge of the earth. How could I tell her and expect that she'd want anything to do with me afterwards?" Yoh pursed his lips while Hao sighed aloud, wondering at why he was so easily sharing his emotions now.

"What did you think of her?" Yoh asked finally. Hao gave him an odd look.

"How is that supposed to be helping with my problem?" He snapped. Yoh shrugged.

"I can only do so much Hao, you're the one that's going to have to make the decisions in your life." Yoh replied. "Right now I'm not sure I have much good advice for you. I only can go on what I know, and I'm pretty easy-going. A lot of people aren't." Yoh drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, resting his chin on his knees. "I think it's going to come down to whether or not you want to tell her your whole story, and deal with the repercussions." Hao groaned aloud at this, he didn't even want to think about what would occur after doing something like that.

"I think it's my turn to ask questions now." He said, steering Yoh away from the topic. Yoh's eyebrow quirk told him he knew exactly what Hao was up to, but he nodded his head in assent anyways. "Who gave you that bruise on your cheek?" Hao reached out to touch said bruise, but Yoh flinched away from him.

"Sorry." Yoh said, eyes filled with a strange pain. "I may be ok with telling you things, but I'm not ok with having you touch me." Hao drew his hand away and gave Yoh an odd look.

"And why is that?"

"I'd rather not talk about that right now...please?" Yoh's dark eyes begged him to drop the topic and Hao did so but not before noticing that Yoh had started to tremble.

"Alright, so I'll go back to the original question, who gave you that bruise?"

"Anna." Yoh sighed after a moment. Hao's eyebrow lifted. Sure Anna slapped Yoh all the time, but he'd never seen a hit hard enough to bruise.

"And what did she slap you for?" Hao asked, thinking that he already knew.

"She noticed that I wasn't quite giving it my all in the fight today." Yoh shrugged. "Said I was slacking."

"Hm, more like you were conserving energy." Yoh looked at him with surprise. "I noticed it. It was smart the way you directed any attacks on you to your teammates." Hao almost laughed at the sight of Yoh's ears going pink at the light praise.

"Ah well, I wasn't sure just how much I'd be able to take, and I thought better safe than sorry." Yoh rubbed the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. "I didn't think that she'd notice, but I forgot that she's got eyes like a hawk."

"And for that she hit you hard enough to bruise." Yoh smiled somewhat ruefully at the incredulity in Hao's voice and face.

"That's not all. Things have been a little tense around home, and I guess that was her way of venting her anger at me."

"Anger for what?" Yoh sighed and looked up at the sky.

"Some other time." He said, standing up. "If I'm gone too long someone might notice and come looking." Yoh smiled at him once more and then walked away.

Hao watched his retreating back, thinking that the whole thing had been a waste of time. But then he paused, because he actually did feel a little bit better after telling Yoh about Somebody. _'Maybe this will work out after all.'_

Wolf: Review plz!


	8. Chapter 8

Wolf: I own nothing.

Hao mentally returned to his and Yoh's conversation the night before with alarming frequency throughout the day. It was annoying because the talk with Yoh was supposed to stop him from being distracted, where now he just had something new to distract him, namely Yoh's hesitation to open up to him.

It shouldn't have bothered him, really, but all he could think about was the fact that he had given his brother possibly his biggest secret and Yoh had given him...nothing. It was childish, but he couldn't help but feel cheated. If Yoh got to know his dirty little secrets, he should be able to know Yoh's after all, right?

As he was thinking this he was sitting at an outdoor table with Kanna, Mari and Macchi, drinking coffee. His brooding eyes caught the sight of Yoh ambling down the path towards his house. All the sudden Yoh was intercepted by Lyserg, who was wearing the white X-Laws uniform. Hao's abnormally acute hearing was able to pick up their conversation.

"Hey, Lyserg, what's up?" Yoh's voice was light, friendly, as usual.

"Don't 'hey' me, demon." Lyserg's voice came out in a hateful snarl. Hao was startled by the tone, wasn't Lyserg a friend of Yoh's?

"Why did you call me that Lyserg?" Yoh's voice was still calm, but Hao could sense unease creeping into it.

"Because you are aligned with your brother." Hao watched Yoh take a small step back in shock.

"What? Lyserg, that's crazy." Hao saw one corner of Lyserg's mouth lift in a snarl.

"Is it?" The young British man demanded. "You struck the blow that should have killed Hao, but it did not. It doesn't even look as though he was injured! You staged the whole thing. You're one of his."

"Lyserg-" Yoh reached out for Lyserg's shoulder, but recoiled at the hate-laden glare that Lyserg levelled at him.

"Don't come near me Yoh, or I'll kill you." Lyserg's voice was cold, decisive. He turned and stalked away from his former friend. As he went Yoh's shoulders sagged. For a moment he simply looked around. His eyes met Hao's briefly and Hao could see dark sorrow and confusion clouding them before Yoh headed on his way.

%&%&%&%

Hao stood on the edge of the cliff, staring broodingly at the shadowed bottom below. His ears picked up the sound of footsteps coming his way and he sat down in one graceful movement as Yoh padded up behind him. Hao noted that when he sat down he did so putting enough distance between them that they could not accidently brush up against each other.

"My understanding of this arrangement was that we were both going to benefit from it." Hao said before Yoh could open his mouth.

"What do you mean?" Yoh asked with some degree of nervousness in his voice.

"This whole thing is about me telling you my problems, and you doing the same, correct?" Yoh nodded slightly. "Well, thus far, I'm the only one doing any telling." Yoh swallowed.

"Well, do you have anything specific you want to ask about?" He asked, but Hao knew that Yoh knew exactly what he wanted to know.

"Why don't you want me touching you?" Hao heard Yoh suck in a deep breath and waited. There was nothing but silence. Hao finally turned to look at Yoh, who was staring down at his dry hands. "Yoh, this thing that you've orchestrated will not work if you're not comfortable with me being around." Hao was surprised to hear his own voice sounding so gentle; he almost sounded like Yoh. "Isn't it true that even talking about something can help with the problem?"

Yoh turned to give him an odd look. Hao thought that he might have the same expression on his own face. What the hell was with him? But it did seem like his speech was wearing Yoh down, at the current moment the tension in the younger twin's body was slowly easing out of him. Yoh bit his lip before speaking.

"You're right. I'll tell you." His voice was barely above a whisper, and he did not meet Hao's probing gaze. Instead he drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. The position seemed defensive to Hao, but defence against what exactly?

"I don't want you touching me because of what happened the last time you touched me."

"What do you mean?" Yoh was being frustratingly cryptic. Again Yoh bit his lip, hard enough that Hao saw beads of blood well up where he'd bitten down. He really seemed reluctant to tell Hao about whatever it was.

"The last time you touched me was when you absorbed my soul." The words worked their way out of Yoh's mouth with difficulty. Hao could see Yoh beginning to shake and dared not move, knowing a sudden move could startle his brother into silence, or flight. "Think of the worst pain you've ever been in, and then multiply it by a thousand. Add to that the ugly feeling of being...of being violated. That's what it felt like, and I can't close my eyes without reliving the experience over and over again."

The raw agony in Yoh's voice twisted Hao's insides out of shape. But hadn't he wanted Yoh to experience pain, and grow from it? The small part of him that seemed to argue with his every belief lately quietly asked him if he'd really wanted that pain to destroy Yoh. That's what this was really doing, wasn't it? It was slowly destroying his brother. Without really realizing what he was doing Hao lifted a hand and put it on Yoh's shaking shoulder.

Yoh jerked away as though he'd been struck and lifted one hand to bat away the one on his shoulder. Before Hao could do anything else Yoh was on his feet and bolting away into the forest. Stop him! A voice inside him cried, and whether it was to keep Yoh from hurting himself, or to prevent him from raising a mob to come after him, he wasn't sure, but he listened to it, bolting after Yoh.

Without much effort Hao caught up to Yoh and grabbed him around the waist with both hands. Yoh let out a terrified scream and began to struggle. In that moment the careful blocks Yoh had put up around his mind faltered in his blind panic and Hao was assaulted with the memory of him absorbing Yoh's soul, feeling everything as Yoh had.

Hao let out a cry and in his shock and pain released Yoh. The terrified younger twin scrambled away, making another run for it. For a moment Hao could only close his eyes and try to avoid throwing up as the sensations that he'd just experienced faded a little. It had felt wrong, just wrong, there was no other way to describe it, and he had done _that_ to Yoh. He composed himself and ran after Yoh again.

When he caught up to his panicked brother he clamped his arms around Yoh's middle, pinning his arms to his sides and pulling him back so that Yoh was trapped, facing away from him, against his chest. Yoh let out a wail of anguish and struggled against Hao's hold. Hao held on grimly, despite the fact that the waves of fear and remembered pain coming from Yoh's mind were hitting him like physical blows.

Too locked up in terror to notice that Hao wasn't actually hurting him, just holding him still, Yoh continued to fight and scream in Hao's grip. Hao knew of no way to calm him down, and at this point thought that Yoh would probably listen to nothing he had to say. The only thing he could do for the moment was hold on and hope that Yoh came to his senses soon.

After a couple minutes of useless thrashing Yoh's legs buckled and he fell to his knees, energy spent. The screams turned into tormented sobs as Hao gently lowered Yoh to the ground, sitting down with Yoh basically in his lap. The gulping sobs hurt him even more than Yoh's fear and pain-filled thoughts did.

_You loved me 'cause I'm fragile_

_When I thought that I was strong_

_But you touch me for a little while_

_And all my fragile strength is gone_

Those soft words from a song that Somebody had once told him that she loved echoed in Hao's mind; fitting for the situation today, but who was the song for? Him, or Yoh? At this point Hao wasn't sure anymore. Yoh trembled in his grip, thoughts a confused rush of images and emotions.

Hao started noticing a pattern in them though after a bit. Yoh's mind kept flashing back to his gloved hands. He seemed to associate them with the pain that he'd experienced, and who could blame him? They had pulled his soul out of his body after all. Hao needed to rid himself of the reminders of Yoh's ordeal if he had any hope of calming his twin down.

He gripped both of Yoh's wrists in one and used his teeth to pull the glove off his free one. He repeated the process with the other glove and then gently but firmly gripped each one of Yoh's wrists with one of his own.

The action seemed to do the trick. Yoh's sobs turned into soft hiccups and he stopped his feeble struggles as he stared down at the bare hands holding him. Slowly, carefully Hao shifted the position of his hands, bringing them overtop Yoh's and gently coaxing his fists open to hold them. Yoh tensed for a moment, a quiet whimper escaping his lips. Hao soothingly rubbed his fingers against the backs of Yoh's hands until those hands closed around his.

He marvelled at the feel of Yoh's hands compared to his. Yoh's hands were calloused and rough from training, scarred from fighting, and dry from his recent decline in health. Hao's, by comparison, were soft and unblemished from wearing his gloves all the time. Slowly, Yoh relaxed into Hao's hold completely and let out a low sigh. Hao closed his eyes, basking in the peaceful aura that the two of them were radiating. He felt totally relaxed, which was something he had not experienced in some time and he just let himself savour the moment.

"I'm tired." Yoh's soft voice brought him out of his thoughts and he let out a disappointed sigh. He gently helped Yoh to his feet and then stepped away from him. Yoh swayed a little bit, but seemed steady enough to make it back on his own. He looked back once at Hao, giving him a brief smile, and then continued on his way.

Hao sighed and picked up his gloves. He was about to put them back on but shivered as Yoh's memories once again overwhelmed him. Conjuring up a ball of fire he burned the gloves to cinders and then headed for his own bed, certain that he would find no sleep this night.

Wolf: The lyrics are from Gravity by Sara Bareilles, check it out, good song. Review plz!


	9. Chapter 9

Wolf: I own nothing!

Yoh awoke, blinking his eyes blearily, from the best sleep he'd had in weeks. Slowly, as he regained consciousness, the events of last night untangled themselves from the depths of his muddled mind. An embarrassed flush crossed his face; he'd completely lost it. He wondered if Hao would even show up again after his freak-out.

He licked his lips and stood up, stretching as he thought some more. Hao hadn't tried to hurt him when he'd grabbed him. It seemed that Hao was taking their deal very seriously. "He must have a helluva lot of things he wants to get off his chest for him to put aside his plans to try to comfort me." Yoh murmured to himself as he got dressed.

Yoh felt good enough after a night's sleep that he didn't bother going to the cafe to get his usual coffee, he just kept running. His happy mood soon evaporated with the appearance of the X-Laws walking down the street. As one they swivelled their heads and favoured him with a hate-laden glare. Yoh gulped and moved a little faster past them. He resolved to bring a weapon next time he was out; they had looked ready to kill.

Apparently so was Anna. "You haven't given any thought at all to how you're going to get rid of Hao, have you?" She shrieked at him as soon as he walked in the house. "Well?" She demanded, jabbing a sharp finger into his chest.

"Considering my last idea didn't do squat, I'm pretty sure I'm not the one that should be thinking up the plan." Yoh retorted. "Besides, what good does killing him do? He'll only reincarnate again and the whole problem starts all over again. It's not efficient."

"It's all we've got." Anna replied.

'_Maybe that's all you've got. But I know that Hao can be saved, and I will continue to try until my dying breath.' _Yoh did not voice his thoughts out loud, instead he said "I'm going to take a shower, then go check out the Shaman fight that's today. Will you be coming?" She gave him an 'are-you-stupid' glare and then sauntered away.

Yoh grinned and went upstairs to shower. When he was done he took Harusame and escaped out his window. Walking through the forest he came upon a barrier of brambles. He merely got down on his hands and knees and crawled through the hidden tunnel that was there, ending up in a surprisingly large clearing.

He took a breath as he prepared to release the other secret he'd been keeping from his friends and family. Carefully he lowered the blocks he had placed around a large portion of his furyiochu, letting his full power out. An interesting effect of successfully channelling the power of all the shamans that had believed in him was that his power level had increased exponentially. His power now rivalled that of Hao's, but the blocks made it so that it looked like he'd only increased a little.

"Yoh, why do you hide your new power levels?" Amidamaru asked as Yoh loosened up.

"People think I'm dangerous enough as is Amidamaru." Yoh answered. "If they knew I was as powerful as him, they'd never allow me to live."

"But with that kind of power you could defeat Hao once and for all!" Amidamaru protested.

"Exactly." Yoh said dully. Amidamaru drew his brows together, looking confused.

"Does this have anything to do with where you've been disappearing at night?"

"Perhaps. I have to ask you not to follow me when I do leave, alright?"

"Yes, Yoh." Amidamaru sighed, disliking all the secrecy.

"Come on Amidamaru, let's see what we can do with this extra power."

%&%&%&%

Yoh walked up to the cliff, not holding up much hope that Hao would be there. He shivered slightly, it was a chilly night. To his surprise his brother was there, along with a thermos. "You're here." Yoh said as he sat down. "I wasn't sure you'd come." Hao let out a low chuckle.

"I wasn't sure if you'd come." He replied quietly. "You were pretty upset last night." Yoh flushed deeply, thankful that the dark night would hide it from Hao.

"I'm sorry about that-" A hand placed on his knee stopped him. He jumped and tensed for a second, but then forced himself to relax.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about." Hao's voice was soft and strange. Yoh looked down at the hand on his knee, noticing that it had no glove on it.

"What happened to your gloves?" He asked Hao. Hao shrugged nonchalantly.

"I burned them, they didn't...feel right anymore."

"What do you mean?" Yoh asked.

"When you freaked out last night the mental blocks around your mind came down and I experienced the taking of your soul as if it had been mine that was taken. One of your strongest images was that of my gloves. They just felt...dirty after that."

"I see." Yoh cocked his head, looking at the smooth, pale skin of Hao's hand. "It's so strange to see you without them. I mean they're a part of the intimidation factor I think with you, and by taking them off it's like...I don't know, it's like revealing vulnerability or something."

"You think people will see it that way?"

"No, I don't think so. You're attitude and reputation is intimidating enough. It's more for the people that understand the way you work a little better, I guess."

"Like you?"

"I try to understand you, I don't know how well I do." Yoh replied with a smile. Hao huffed as he unscrewed the thermos and poured a bit of tea into the lid.

"Too well, sometimes." He replied, handing Yoh the cup. "It's blackberry tea, keep away the chill." Yoh accepted it, taking a sip. The tea was sweet with a bit of a tang and it warmed him in his stomach.

"Have you heard anything from Somebody lately?" He asked as the two of them sipped their tea quietly. Hao didn't answer, he simply put his hand in his pocket and handed Yoh a single sheet of folded printer paper. Yoh took it eagerly and read what was written down. He chuckled softly and handed the paper back to Hao. "Well, she certainly knows how to have fun, doesn't she?"

"She does." Hao mused.

"Now, I have a question about her."

"And what is that?"

"What makes her so special?" Hao jerked and looked at Yoh with surprise.

"What do you mean by that?" Hao's tone had a warning in it, but Yoh ignored it, explaining further.

"What makes her so different from the billions of other humans on this planet?" Yoh turned to look at Hao, whose jaw was clenched tight.

"This is not something that we should be discussing." He said through clenched teeth. Yoh shook his head at him.

"No, it is." He said stubbornly, knowing this could end badly, but he had to try anyways. "You've been corresponding with a human girl, a race that you've vowed to wipe off the face of the planet, and so i want to know, what makes her different?"

Hao sat with his jaw locked, not saying a word. Yoh watched his hands curl into fists. He was navigating dangerous waters and his heart beat a rapid rhythm as he found the courage to continue. "The only thing that makes her special is the fact that you've made her out to be special in your mind. As far as the rest of the world knows, she's just another regular human being."

"She has a dragon." Hao growled out.

"Noted. But her reaction to said dragon is no different from what millions of others would be. There are many, many people out there willing to accept things like that."

"I'm leaving."

"You can't run from your problems like this."

"I'm. Leaving." Hao stood up and started walking away, but Yoh had one last parting comment.

"How many Somebodys will you kill?"

Wolf: Review plz!


	10. Chapter 10

Wolf: I own nothing!

At first Hao tried to ignore Yoh's words, pretending they didn't exist, that it didn't matter. He stopped going out at night to meet Yoh, as Yoh would just ask him more questions that would pop this bubble of denial that he had formed around himself. He'd even found a new pair of gloves, to remind himself what was important right now, and that any feelings towards Yoh had no control over his actions.

And yet, the doubts still intruded, day after day, minute by minute, making Hao feel like he was being subjected to Chinese water torture. He didn't know that Somebody would be who she was when he started writing her, she could have been anyone, and she could have reacted in any way. Was she really special to anyone but himself?

He hated himself for those thoughts, hated that he was weakening, that he was actually listening to his fool of a brother's arguments. Somebody was special, and everyone else could burn, they all deserved it. _'What if you hadn't found those letters? What if you didn't know who exactly Somebody was?'_ The little part of his mind that was starting to sound annoyingly like his brother whispered to him. _'She would have just been another human then, wouldn't she? You would have killed her with the rest, never knowing.'_

As the week went on denial gave way to anger. Anger at Yoh, anger at his own weakness, anger at the human race in general, just everything really. This anger was directed for the most part at his bewildered followers, who could only move as far back as possible to avoid letting their master start in with physical blows. They didn't know if it would come to that, but Hao had been so unpredictable lately.

The worst time for Hao was night-time. After everyone had gone to sleep there was no one to turn his anger on, and no one to talk to. He did not even want to think about rejoining Yoh at their night rendezvous, but part of him missed their talks deeply and that only added to his frustrated, tormented thoughts. He wasn't sleeping much these days, not at all.

He was walking with his followers from watching another Shaman fight when Yoh, moving quickly in the opposite direction, accidently bumped into him. Hao's last bit of control on his temper shredded and he lost it. Snarling furiously he hit Yoh hard in the stomach, throwing him a good ten feet. Yoh hit the dirt and landed on his back, skidding a little.

Tecolote seemed to take that as a signal to attack and launched his mariachi dolls at Yoh. Yoh had just enough time to pull Harusame out of his belt, activate his Over-soul and bring up his blade as a shield before they were on him. Hao lifted a hand, telling Tecolote to stop.

As Yoh shakily tried to stand Hao summoned Spirit of Fire, who loomed over all of them. Yoh gave him a hurt look, but held his sword up, waiting for the Spirit of Fire to strike. He knew it would be no good running. He just stood there, staring not at the Spirit of Fire, but directly at Hao, who stared back coldly.

Coldly, that is until he realized that Yoh's eyes didn't hold the hate he was expecting, but a kind of aching pain. He stared, transfixed into Yoh's dark, sorrowful eyes. Yoh didn't want to fight him, didn't want any more bloodshed. Hao's anger fizzled away staring into his brother's gentle, sad eyes.

Looking away, he dismissed the Spirit of Fire with a wave of his hand. "We're leaving." He told his followers. He then very deliberately turned and walked away from Yoh, ignoring the bewildered and slightly annoyed grumbles from his group.

As soon as his followers were settled in back at the house he quietly stole away. He had no destination in mind; he just wanted to go somewhere where he didn't have to think. He walked up the cliffs and into the forest, heading for a shaded area that no one else, as far as he knew, knew about. There was a large, cold spring there.

He slipped his clothes off and slid into the frigid, cave-fed spring water. The chill of the water numbed his body, and thankfully, his mind. Dark eyes closed and he allowed himself just to drift in the still waters. All too soon the cold became too much and he reluctantly pulled himself out of the water, dried off and walked off once more.

He sat down at the edge of the cliff, feet dangling over and long, damp hair drifting in the hot breeze. Soon the thoughts that he was trying to forget invaded his head once more. He stared down at his hands, feeling revulsion at the sight of his gloves, and so he threw them off. He stood up, ignoring the way his damp hair whipped around like his tormented thoughts and began to pace.

An overwhelming feeling of confusion and despair overtook him and he sank to his knees, unable to cope anymore. A tormented scream tore past his lips and echoed into the sky. Raising his hands he brought them down, smashing his bare fists into the rocky ground. Over and over he pounded at the ground with his fists, not feeling the pain he was inflicting on himself.

Finally he stopped, breathing in pants that sounded like soft sobs. He looked down at his sore hands, finding bruises and cuts all over them. A soft rumble made him look up at the rapidly darkening sky. He groaned and fetched his gloves, sliding them over his throbbing hands before heading back to the village.

"Hao-sama, everyone else is gone!" Macchi wailed as soon as he got inside. It took a moment for Hao to register what she was saying.

"What do you mean they're gone?" He asked tonelessly, unable to really find it in himself to care.

"They were all discussing how you've changed lately and how erratic you've been and then they all just...left." Kanna gave him an apologetic look. "I don't think they're coming back."

"And why are you still here?" Hao asked.

"Where else would we go?" Mari asked softly. "Back to where people believe we're witches? Out there to be picked off by those crazy X-Laws?"

"We're loyal to the end, no matter what you decide to do." Kanna added firmly. Hao let out a faint bark of mirthless laughter.

"And why would you do that?"

"Because you showed us that we weren't really monsters at all." Macchi whispered. Hao slowly lifted his head to stare at the three girls. In those eyes he found a depth of loyalty and gratitude that he felt undeserving of. They were just tools to him, and yet they believed in him, trusted him.

"Whatever you want us to do, we'll do it." Kanna finished. Hao rubbed his face with one gloved hand.

"Right now...I just would like to be left alone." He finally said tiredly. The three girls nodded and Hao headed upstairs to his room to be alone with his tortured mind.

%&%&%&%

Hao trudged slowly up to the cliffs that night, doubtful that Yoh would even be there, especially after what he'd almost done today. He stopped short in surprise as he topped the cliff, seeing a familiar silhouette sitting at the edge. He padded quietly over and sat down beside his brother. Yoh jerked, startled and then smiled when he realized who it was.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up." He said playfully. Hao gave him an incredulous look.

"Really? Even after what I did today?"

"What you did today showed me that you were conflicted, and that you really didn't want hurt me." Yoh said decisively. Hao began retracting all his previous statements of Yoh being a fool, or stupid, because clearly there was a very adept brain lurking behind those sleepy black eyes. "What are you thinking of?" Yoh asked, pulling Hao out of his thoughts.

"I was just thinking that you're a lot smarter than you let on." Hao admitted. Yoh gave him a smile.

"I'll talk about that some other time. Right now I think there's some things you want to talk about." Yoh's dark eyes bored into his, and Hao felt uncomfortably like Yoh could see everything about him. Yoh seemed to realize he was making Hao uncomfortable and cast his eyes downward, to Hao's ungloved hands. "What did you do to your hands?" He asked, seeing the cuts and bruises.

"I got mad." Hao replied. Yoh took one of them in his own and looked at it. "They look a bit more alike now, don't they?" Yoh nodded.

"Yes, but the people that use them are still very different." Hao bobbed his head slightly in agreement and then sighed softly.

"It's just...what if you're right? What then?" Hao asked. "What do I do with the rest of my life if all my life's goals have been useless?"

"I'm not sure useless is the right word." Yoh countered. "You have a good vision, just a wrong way of going about it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're looking to create a world devoid of hate, right?" Hao nodded. "How can a world born of hate be free of it? And for that matter, shamans have children without power all the time, were you going to kill them too?" Hao hadn't thought of that, and it must have shown in his face because Yoh nodded and carried on. "You can't solve a problem with killing, that just creates more problems. And just because you kill doesn't mean the problem, hate, in this case, goes away. You have to change people's minds, show them the better way of living."

"How can you do that?"

"That I haven't quite figured out yet, but leading by example is a good start. Get people thinking, I guess." Yoh said. Hao sighed softly and his head drooped. "You ok?" Yoh asked with gentle concern in his voice.

"I don't know, I just feel...empty. Empty and tired." Hao replied. Yoh reached around him, putting an arm around his shoulder and pulling him close. Hao tensed for a moment, and then relaxed into the comforting embrace, resting his head on Yoh's shoulder. Neither of them said a word as they stared up into the night sky, both hoping to whatever gods were out there that things would work out alright.

Wolf: Review plz!


	11. Chapter 11

Wolf: I own nothing!

Yoh was feeling extremely hopeful. When he and Hao had parted the night before, Hao had not made any major decisions, but he was still confused about his priorities. This could be seen as a good thing for Yoh, because it meant that Hao was willing to listen. He did feel sorry for his older twin though; Hao being confused was a painful sight indeed.

Yoh was sitting down with his friends, eating an early lunch when Manta nudged him. "What is it, Manta?" Yoh asked.

"Look over at Hao." Manta replied in a hushed voice. Yoh looked out into the street and saw that Hao was walking by, with only the Hanagumi girls in tow. He frowned slightly.

"Where are all the others?" He asked aloud to the rest of his friends. Horohoro snickered.

"I heard they all scarpered." He said with no small amount of amusement in his voice. "Guess they finally realized their boss was a whackjob."

"How much do you want to bet he went after them and killed them all?" Ren added calmly. Yoh didn't answer, just looked at Hao sadly. Hao caught his eye and Yoh gave him a discreet apologetic smile. Hao blinked slowly and then tipped the corner of his mouth up and shrugged slightly. Yoh could see dull resignation in his dark eyes and his heart went out to his lonely brother.

After his lunch with his friends Yoh headed out on his own. He was feeling a little daring today, and so wanted to do something he'd been thinking about for some time. He paused in front of the small shop a moment before heading inside. The shop was a custom jewellery store, and the young woman who ran it also did piercings for her customers. It was for this that Yoh was there.

A week ago he'd gone in and ordered the exact earrings that he wanted made for him and made an appointment for the piercing to be done. Today was the day and though Yoh was nervous, he did not want to back out either. The twenty-something Patch woman blinked at him from her place behind her desk as she disinfected a thin needle.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked as Yoh sat down across from her. Yoh gulped slightly, but nodded. The young woman calmly reached for his left ear and placed a slice of apple behind it. Yoh closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. When the needle pierced his ear he didn't make a sound or even flinch. "Well, you're certainly the brave one." The shop owner commented as she slipped his new earring into the hole in his ear. Yoh gave her a bright smile.

"That was nothing; you should see the injuries I get on the field." He replied. The woman hummed in understanding and handed him a small box along with a small vial of disinfectant with instructions to clean his ear twice a day to prevent infection. Yoh nodded and stared at his new piercing in the mirror. The silver stud had been worked into the shape of a leaf, a nod at the meaning of his name. The skin around it was red and sore, but Yoh knew it would go down.

He thanked the woman and paid her, before walking out with his things. As he walked along he opened the little box he'd been given. He'd asked for two different studs, and the one in the box was a little silver star. He shut the box, thinking he would be forever branded as on Hao's side if he wore that one. Someday he would be able to wear it, but not today, not when anything that was seen as one of Hao's motifs, like the star, could be seen as evil.

He sighed as he walked into the house, knowing he was going to be in trouble already. He slipped the box into his back pocket and walked past the kitchen, where his grandfather was sitting with the newspaper. "Hi, grandpa." Yoh called. As Yohmei looked up his eyes caught the flash from Yoh's earring and he frowned.

"What is that?" He demanded harshly. Yoh opened his mouth but Yohmei stopped him. "Don't bother, I already know. You take that out, immediately."

"Why?" Yohmei blinked, clearly taken aback by his grandson's questioning of him rather than complete obedience.

"What does it matter?" Yoh's grandfather blustered. "Take it out."

"Not until you give me a legitimate reason why I shouldn't wear it." Yoh replied, folding his arms across his chest. His heart thudded against his chest hard; this was the first time he'd dared to say anything against his grandfather's orders, and now they would see just how he would react. Yohmei just sat there, jaw working as his face grew purple. Yoh finally got tired of it. "If you're not going to say anything I have to get my things for training." He sighed, and then simply turned his back and left.

%&%&%&%

Hao was already sitting down, his gloves folded neatly by his side, when Yoh arrived at the cliff that night. Hao was looking down at his bruised and cut hands. Yoh couldn't see his expression, his face hidden by his long dark hair.

"They'll go away soon." Yoh said, breaking the silence. "They're just shallow cuts." Hao looked over at Yoh's hands.

"A pity yours won't do the same." He replied softly. Yoh shrugged and looked at the scars on his hands.

"They're little scars, they'll fade in time. Some do that."

"Some don't." Hao's voice was low, brooding. Yoh looked over at him. Hao was staring up at the sky with an unreadable expression on his face.

"What happened with your followers?" Yoh finally asked quietly. Hao let out a long, tired sigh and closed his eyes.

"They felt I was becoming too unpredictable, and they left." He answered.

"Did you go after them?" Yoh asked.

"What difference would it have made?" Hao said with a faint trace of irritation in his voice. "Even if I did go after them, and kill them as you so surely are suggesting, I would still have no followers either way."

"Would you have thought of it that way a few weeks ago?" Yoh queried. Hao was silent for a long moment.

"No." He eventually admitted. "I wouldn't have." Yoh didn't press the matter, feeling Hao was confused about that easy acceptance as well as many other things.

"The Hanagumi girls didn't leave though." He said instead. Hao opened his eyes and nodded slightly. He told Yoh everything the girls had told him.

"I'm not really sure I'm deserving of that kind of loyalty." He said glumly when he was finished.

"Then maybe it's time you earned it." Yoh replied.

"How?" Yoh shrugged his shoulders.

"Get to know them, help them, don't just ignore them like you like to do." He said. "My friends are loyal to me because they know that I'm loyal to them, so be loyal to the girls." Hao only sighed once again. "I know it's difficult for you to allow people to get close to you, but they've proven they won't turn their backs on you, so maybe..."

"Maybe." Hao repeated softly. "I can see now why so many people that were once your enemies are now your friends." He chuckled.

"Why is that?"

"Because you're so damned persuasive. You just say all these things and they make so much sense and I...I hate it!" Hao laughed again, a jagged, almost crying sound. Yoh looked at his brother with concern, but Hao's face was hidden by his hair once again. "I was so sure of everything until you came along, do you know that?" Hao asked dully.

"If you were so sure, then I shouldn't be able to talk to you like this." Yoh replied. "I can't cast doubt where there is none." Hao looked over at Yoh and his eye caught the flash as Yoh's new earring glinted in the bright moonlight.

"Great Spirit, what the hell did you do to your ear?" He asked. Yoh couldn't help but start laughing at his tone and the expression on his face.

"I'm sorry." He said as his giggles were brought under control. "It's just my friends had the exact same reaction. What do you think?"

"I think it looks neat, but why did you do it?" Hao asked.

"It's something I've been thinking of doing for some time, my own private rebellion, you could say." Hao frowned in confusion at that.

"What do you mean?" Yoh sighed.

"You really think you're the only one that had my 'destiny' planned out for me?" Yoh asked seriously. "Ever since I was born my family has decided that I needed to be the one to destroy you. Why I don't know, maybe because of the whole other half thing, but it could be anything really. The important thing is that I don't want this 'destiny', they do. I only really found out about it after I thought I'd killed you. Grandfather told me he was proud of me."

"What did you say?"

"That killing a man was nothing to be proud of." Yoh said quietly.

"How'd he react to that?" Hao asked.

"He shook me and called me a little idiot." Yoh replied.

"Is that where you got those bruises on your arms?" Hao asked, recalling the finger-like marks on Yoh's arms in the bath that night. Yoh nodded glumly. "I always thought...I always thought that you'd never understood betrayal, that you'd never known loss, or pain, but I guess I was wrong."

"Yeah." Yoh replied, and that was all that he said about the subject.

"This feels right." Hao said after a couple minutes of companionable silence.

"What does?"

"This. Talking to each other about things, sitting here, enjoying the moonlight, all of it." Hao replied. Yoh chuckled.

"That's because this is what brothers do." He explained. Hao nodded and then he stood up.

"Well, goodnight." He said. He turned to leave and then paused. He then reached down and ruffled Yoh's hair before walking away. Yoh waited for him to go and then walked back to his own house, beaming happily.

Wolf: Review plz!


	12. Chapter 12

Wolf: I own nothing.

"Hao-sama, you seem agitated." Kanna commented they walked over the cliff. Hao looked up from absent-mindedly playing with his bangs and smiled wanly.

"Would it seem too odd for me to ask you to simply call me Hao?" He asked. The girls stiffened slightly and he made a face. "Never mind then." He sighed. "As for your question, what would you do if I told you there would be no more killing?"

"We would support that." Mari said carefully. "But, we may ask why." Kanna and Macchi nodded in agreement.

"Hopefully you'll be able to meet the answer to that very soon." Hao replied, which served only to deepen their confusion. Their confusion would probably only get deeper in the following days if his assumptions were correct.

%&%&%&%

"Well, I've done it." Hao said as Yoh sat down next to him. He was sitting a short ways away from the cliff face, a fire burning on the ground in front of him. Yoh blinked at him, eyebrow furrowing into an expression of confusion.

"What did you do?" He asked. Hao paused a moment before answering, noticing that Yoh looked a lot healthier from what he did when they had first started talking. It seemed that their agreement had helped him as well. Hao found that this made him feel happy.

"I emailed Somebody, and told her it was time that we should meet." He explained. "I told her to meet me at night in the valley where she was captured, and that there would be a fire burning to guide her way."

"Do you think she'll come?" Yoh asked.

"I hope so." Hao sighed. "We have a week to find out though, don't we?" Hao watched Yoh's eyes go vague for a moment as he thought of this. Then he 'came back' and smiled brightly at his older brother.

"Right, because you only check your email once a week, and so don't know when she'll get the email and therefore you have a week before you know whether or not she's going to come or not."

"Seriously Yoh, why do you hide how smart you really are?" Hao questioned, bemused by the difference between his picture of Yoh as an idiot and the smart young man beside him. Yoh smiled a touch sadly at him.

"When I was younger the other kids used to pick on me because my family was strange. Along the way I figured out that if I was smart, and the teachers praised smartness, I would get picked on more."

"So you played dumb to protect yourself." Hao concluded.

"Yeah."

"But why here? People aren't really going to pick on you here."

"Well, I was going to stop acting, but then I met you, and the X-Laws, and something told me that if I acted smart they would consider me more of a threat than if I was perceived as foolish." Yoh sighed. "It worked for a little while."

"I guess I'm the biggest pain in your life." Hao said regretfully. Yoh turned to him with a half-smile.

"Isn't that what a brother is supposed to be?"

%&%&%&%

The next night Hao was amused to hear Yoh pause in confusion when he came up to the cliff. It wasn't surprising, instead of his normal ensemble of clothing he was simply wearing a white button-up shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of scuffed up black converse. After deciding that it really was him Yoh sat down and gave Hao an odd look.

"What's with the clothes?" He asked, getting right to the point.

"You told me once that my clothes were part of my intimidation factor, right?" Yoh nodded. "I don't want to seem threatening to Somebody, so I chose to wear normal clothing."

"And in so doing you hope to not scare her away." Yoh nodded in approval of Hao's plan. "Are you sure you want me here? Wouldn't you rather meet her on your own?" Hao shook his head slightly.

"I'd rather have you here with me, as emotional support I guess." He explained. "If you're here, there's less of a likelihood that I'll back out. It's just comforting to have you close to me." Yoh looked at him for a moment before reaching out and putting his arm around Hao's shoulder. In that move Hao felt Yoh's gentle affection for him and felt his heart swell with happiness.

"Thank you Yoh, for everything." Yoh didn't answer, just squeezed Hao's shoulder lightly. A sudden rustle made them both look up and over to the right. Slowly, from the bushes near the edge of the cliff about 3 metres away a small, slim form along with a bigger, dark form pushed their way through the bushes.

As the firelight hit them it revealed Somebody and Buddy standing there. Hao stood up and Somebody locked her eyes with him. Confusion, fear and anger flitted across her dainty features and Hao knew that she recognised him. Buddy, catching her mood, lowered his head and growled at him. Somebody put her hand on his head and seemed to wait.

"Hello, Somebody." Hao said softly. This was the moment of truth; would she run or would she stay and listen to what he had to say? After a moment's hesitation Somebody slowly walked over to him, Buddy pressed up against her, yellow eyes glowering at him. Somebody kept her eyes locked on Hao's face the entire time, stopping about two feet away from him.

"Why did you try to kill me?" She asked, cutting right to the chase. Her blue-grey eyes stared unwaveringly up into his and he let out a low sigh.

"There are a great many things that I never told you about myself, and I feel I must start at the beginning." He sat down and gestured for her to do the same. Giving him a suspicious glance she nonetheless sat down and Buddy curled himself around her smaller form, eying Hao warily. "First of all, my name is Hao Asakura, and this is my brother, Yoh." Yoh nodded and smiled at her.

Her lips pursed and then she spoke. "I am Kat Blackthorn." She replied, obviously trying to be polite.

"Kat, that's a pretty name." Her eyes told him she was waiting and he cleared his throat nervously. "This is not my first life Kat, I have had three lives over the last thousand years." He paused, but she said nothing, and he could not read her thoughts to find out if she believed him or not. "In my first life, at a very young age, my mother was killed. The people who killed her believed she was a demon because of her shamanic abilities. That's where the hate began I guess. I didn't give into it back then though, I chose to use my powers to try and help the people. Everywhere I went though I was met with fear, disgust, and hate. Eventually, I started to believe, looking at the world, that humans had no business in it."

"And so then you began to plot ways to destroy humanity." Kat's tone was not accusing, just questioning.

"Yes, I was killed twice before reaching that goal, and in this life, I was stopped by Yoh a third time. After that time was when I encountered you, and..."

"Tried to kill me."

"Yes." Hao's voice was barely above a whisper and he looked away from Kat. "I found the letters in your bag, and knew who you were immediately. I didn't know what to do then, but thankfully Buddy solved that problem for me." The big black dragon huffed at the sound of his name. "Yoh noticed after that how I seemed...out of sorts, and offered to help me work through it, which was crazy because Yoh may be one of the people that I've hurt the most in this life." He let out a long, shuddering breath and then continued. "He told me something that I'd never honestly thought about. He told me the only thing that made you different, was that I had decided that you were different. For the first time in a thousand years, I was forced to truly think about what I was doing, and all the justifications I had ever made no longer seemed adequate."

Kat was silent for a long time, and Hao finally was able to work up the courage to look her in the face. Her grey-blue eyes had softened somewhat and her posture was more relaxed. "Why did you call me here?" She asked in a gentler tone.

"I wanted to stop lying to you, and I-I wanted to apologise." Hao murmured, looking away again. "I can understand if you want nothing more to do with me now." He heard her shift and jolted in surprise as he felt her scoot closer to him.

"Now it's my turn to tell you a secret." Hao noticed her voice was lower than most females, and slightly husky, though melodious all the same. "After my mother died, and before Buddy came along, I was seriously contemplating suicide." Hao looked over at her in surprise. Her eyes were dark and sad. "I was hurting so bad. The only thing that kept me going was your letters. Just knowing that somebody cared about me allowed me to keep going, so I think that having you save my life cancels out you trying to kill me, what do you say?"

Hao stared at her, stunned for a moment before a relieved smile crept across his features. "I say that's the last thing I was expecting to hear, but also the best thing I could hear." Her teeth flashed white in a brilliant smile at his answer. Yoh politely coughed and stood up.

"I better get back before anyone notices I'm gone." He sighed. "You two going to be alright?"

"Oh, I think things will be fine now." Hao replied. Yoh grinned and then waved goodbye as the night swallowed him up.

Wolf: Review plz!


	13. Chapter 13

Wolf: I own nothing!

Kat smiled at Hao shyly as Yoh left. Hao returned the smile, feeling extremely awkward. He shifted his attention to Buddy, finding the glowing yellow eyes watching him with interest. "Will he let me touch him?" He asked Kat. Kat looked at her dragon friend.

"I think so." She replied. Hao reached out a hand and Buddy lifted his head, bumping against Hao's outstretched palm. Hao ran his hand over the surprisingly smooth and warm scales of Buddy's head. Buddy closed his eyes and let out a rough, purring, humming sound of satisfaction. Hao chuckled and then looked over at Kat.

"I have another confession to make." Her blue-grey eyes blinked at him. "You said that I saved your life." She nodded her head. "Well, you did the same for me."

"What do you mean?"

"I have this...ability. I can read minds." She looked at him with some degree of surprise, and uneasiness. "It's a terrible thing, and often times when I'm out and about, surrounded by all those thoughts I feel as though I'm..."

"Drowning?" Hao nodded soberly.

"I can't escape the feeling, but you always provided a sort of anchor, a handhold to keep me from falling into the tempest, into madness."

"I wouldn't like to know what goes on in people's heads." Kat admitted. "Can you read my thoughts then?"

"No, actually. It's like I'm being blocked by some external force." Hao looked over at Buddy and then felt it again, the strange blocking sensation he'd felt before, but it was actually emanating from the dragon, and cloaking over Kat. "I think I found it." Hao chuckled.

"What?"

"Buddy is blocking my ability to hear your thoughts." Hao explained, feeling amused as both Buddy and Kat blinked at him.

"Huh, Buddy, you can do that?" Buddy shrugged, a strangely human gesture. "I wonder if it's some kind of defence, from enemies or something." Kat speculated.

"Well, whatever it is, it's nice to know the two people I care about most I don't have the ability to hear their thoughts. It seems to me now as somewhat invasive."

"Yeah, I would feel that way if I knew my mind was being read." Kat said, making a face. "Who's the other one you can't hear?"

"Yoh. Though he managed to do it himself."

"How?"

"It's...it's almost like he's put up a wall inside his mind to keep me out." Kat looked thoughtful.

"Well, if it works one way, do you think it could work the other way?" She finally asked. Hao just blinked at her in confusion. "I mean, if a wall in your mind works to keep people from reading your thoughts, couldn't you use the same concept to block other people's thoughts from entering your head?"

"I never thought of that." Hao honestly admitted. Kat sat back and then giggled.

"As long as we're having confession time I should probably tell you that I have developed a crush on you." She said, blushing lightly. Hao stared at her in surprise. She shrugged, looking embarrassed. "Well, you were always the one that listened and encouraged me, so I guess..." She shrugged again, rubbing the back of her head. "I have to say, I always imagined you as older. I know you said a thousand years, but how old is this body?"

"Sixteen years old." Kat snickered. "What?"

"I'm older." She laughed. "I'm nineteen." Hao smiled.

"Well, I think we'd better get you to a senior's home soon, seeing as how _old_ you are." Was he flirting with her? Hao thought that he might be. His next thought was 'why not?' He cared about Kat; more than he'd cared about anyone else in the world. Scratch that, he cared about Yoh just as much, but in different ways. He'd seen the world through new eyes because of Kat, how could he not love her for that?

Slowly he reached out one hand and gently caressed Kat's face. The grin on her face died away to be replaced by a half hopeful, half bewildered look. His other arm snaked around her waist, pulling her close before he pressed both hands against her cheeks, tilting her face up to his. Her blue-grey eyes stared unwaveringly into his onyx ones.

Hao brought his face to hers, closing his eyes as he sealed his lips over hers. Kat let out a muffled sigh and leaned into it, bringing her hands up to place them over Hao's much larger digits. Hao savoured the feeling of her dry, but soft, full lips against his and felt their bodies mould themselves against each other as he slid even closer to her.

They parted when the need for air became too much. Both of them were panting and in the firelight Hao could see a light flush adorning Kat's face. By the heat in his own face, he thought he might be blushing too. They simply stared at each other for a moment before Buddy pushed his head in between them, demanding attention. Kat laughed and scratched his head.

"Feeling left out, Buddy?" Buddy let out a huffy growl and leaned into her touch. Hao chuckled and scratched the dragon under his chin. Buddy sighed and then lay down on his stomach, yawning and putting his head down. Kat yawned as well.

"Good idea Buddy." She said, leaning up against his hide. "It's late, we should probably sleep." Hao nodded and leaned against Buddy's side as well, next to Kat. She looked over at him and then gave him a light peck on the cheek. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

%&%&%&%

Hao awoke the next morning to find that some time in the night he'd wrapped an arm around Kat's waist, pulling her close. He took the moment to have a look at her peacefully sleeping face. He found himself thinking that she was really quite pretty. He wondered if that assessment came from caring so much about her, but decided he didn't care either way.

Suddenly Kat let out a sigh and shifted slightly. Her blue-grey eyes blinked open and focused on him. He smiled down at her, and she smiled back before leaning up to kiss him sweetly on the lips. "Good morning." She said to him.

"It is." Hao agreed. "Especially waking up with such a beautiful young lady." Kat looked away and down.

"I'm not beautiful." She murmured. Hao gently grasped her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"I think you're beautiful. And I think that's all that matters." He whispered huskily before claiming her lips in another kiss. Behind them Buddy yawned and stretched himself out. Nudging Kat he bounced over to the edge of the cliff, looked down it and then back at her, cocking his head.

"I do believe Buddy is asking to go for a flight." Kat said, standing up. "Would you like to come?" Hao looked at her outstretched hand, nodded and took it. She smiled and pulled two harnesses out of her backpack. She helped Hao into his and pulled herself up onto Buddy's back.

"Sit behind me and clip your harness to mine." She instructed, clipping her own harness to Buddy's saddle. After doing so Hao slipped his arms around Kat's waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Ready when you are." He murmured in her ear. She gave him a single backward glance that consisted of a wild, amused grin before locking her foot onto the pedal controlling Buddy's tail fin.

"Okay, Buddy." She said. Buddy roared and jumped off the cliff. Hao's breath caught in his throat as they fell for a few seconds before Buddy opened his wings and soared upwards into the sky. The land dropped away from them as they soared upwards towards the clouds.

Hao had flown before, on Spirit of Fire. It was nothing like this though. Here he could feel the muscles working under Buddy's skin, feel the winds pulling at them and pushing them. He felt as though he were one with Buddy, and with Kat.

After some time of dipping, twirling and just basically messing around, Kat got Buddy to drop down into a shallow dive. Hao's stomach dropped to his feet as the ground rushed up at them and about ten feet above the tallest trees they levelled off and set a leisurely course over the village.

As they flew over the streets, something caught Hao's eye; a small figure, brown-skinned with a big poof-ball for hair was running down the street. Hao realized with a start that it was Opacho. In another instant Opacho was grabbed and held up in the air by none other than Marco. Her shrill scream jerked Hao out of his surprise.

"Kat, we need to help that little girl." Kat's eyes flicked down and widened.

"Buddy." She said grimly. Buddy growled and dove, extending his front legs. As they swooped low, he grabbed Opacho in his front talons, ripping her from Marco's hands. Looking around Hao saw Yoh walking towards them, completely oblivious.

"Yoh, catch her!" He called. As Yoh looked up in surprise Opacho was dropped into his arms. Buddy flew past and banked hard, coming back to land next to Yoh. Hao pulled the harness off, hopped down and stalked towards Marco, feeling fury rise up inside him.

"Wanna explain to me what exactly you were doing with her?" Hao's voice rose until the last word came out as a furious roar. Marco merely smirked at him.

"We were trying to show her the error of having her loyalties in you." He said.

"And that had to involve hitting her?" Hao looked around to find Kat and Buddy stalking up beside him, Kat still atop Buddy. His eyes widened as what she had said clicked and he looked back at Opacho. She was crying in Yoh's arms and there was a large, dark bruise on the side of her face.

"YOU HIT HER?" Hao roared, rage reaching boiling point. Marco merely smirked wider and stepped towards them, getting his gun out of his holster.

"Take one more step and I will let Buddy barbeque you." Kat threatened through clenched teeth. Buddy roared in agreement. This seemed to unnerve Marco and he paused. Hao looked at him, finally seeing him as he was; a man so blinded by hate and so zealous that he was willing to do anything. Hao realized in that moment that he didn't want to be like him in any way.

"Kat, let's go. He's not worth it." Kat blinked down at him in surprise. Seeing the look in Hao's eyes she nodded and slid off of Buddy. The three of them glared at Marco for a moment before very deliberately turning their backs on him and walking away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~%~~~~~~~~~~~~~~&~~~~~~~~~~~~~~%~~~~~~~~~~~(~~~~~~~~~~

Wolf: Review plz!


	14. Chapter 14

Wolf: I own nothing!

Yoh shifted Opacho in his arms as Hao, Kat and Buddy trudged towards him. He could see the disbelieving, enraged look on Marco's face as they so clearly snubbed him. Hao looked thoughtful, and Kat just looked angry. As Hao got close Opacho strained in Yoh's arms reaching out for Hao with pleading hands.

"Hao-sama!" She cried, hiccupping softly. Hao's face softened and he took the tiny girl in his arms. She buried her face in his shoulder, starting to cry again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I won't run away again, I promise."

"Shh, it's ok Opacho." Hao soothed in a tender voice. "It's not your fault, I'm not angry with you." He gently rocked the frantic little girl as she clutched at him desperately.

"Hao." Hao looked at his brother questioningly. "We should take her to the hospital, make sure there's no...damage." Hao's face grew hard, but he nodded and shifted Opacho on his hip. The five of them headed then to the infirmary.

The nurse on duty seemed wary of Hao, but took Opacho immediately when Yoh asked that she check the little girl for any injuries. The teens were asked to stay in the waiting area while she examined Opacho. Kat opened a nearby window to allow Buddy to stick his head in, since he wasn't able to fit in the front door. Kat rubbed at the black dragon's head as they waited for Opacho to re-emerge.

"I like your earring." She told Yoh. Yoh lifted one hand to play with the silver leaf in his ear, smiling slightly. His friends had taken his new fashion statement better than his grandfather had. He supposed they had more faith in him than his family did; which seemed sort of backwards didn't it?

"Are you alright, Yoh?" Hao asked, seeing the wry look creep across his brother's face. Yoh blinked and looked over at Hao, a mildly embarrassed look crossing his face at being caught daydreaming.

"Oh, just thinking." Yoh replied with a little shrug. Hao opened his mouth again but the nurse came bustling back in with Opacho.

"She's all clear." The nurse declared. "There's a couple more bruises and some dehydration, but other than that she's fine."

"Thank you." Hao said, bowing his head at her. She gave him a look of mixed shock and fear and swept away.

"Soo, how about breakfast then?" Yoh asked lazily as Opacho allowed herself to be swept into Hao's arms.

"That sounds like a good idea, right Buddy?" Kat said. Buddy nodded and growled in agreement. Hao smiled at them and then gave Yoh a worried frown.

"Are you sure you want to come with?" He asked soberly. "You know how it will look if you're seen with me." Yoh looked into his worried eyes and nodded slightly.

"I know. But, if you have the courage to meet Kat, then I should have the courage to do this, to assert myself. No matter the consequences." He said firmly. Hao gave him a faint smile and reached out to squeeze his shoulder. He could feel Yoh's gentle, easy acceptance of him and it made him understand why Yoh's friends were so loyal to him. They knew that no matter what happened Yoh would have their backs, and now Hao was a part of that privileged group.

"Hao-sama." Hao looked down at Opacho's whisper. "Who is she?" She pointed at Kat, who was busy petting Buddy's head through the window.

"That is Kat, a very dear friend of mine. The dragon is Buddy, and he is also our friend."

"Oh." Opacho frowned slightly, thinking for a moment before a bright grin crossed her tiny face. "Does this mean no more killing?"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay!" Kat wandered over and gave Opacho a quiet smile. "Hi, Kat, I'm Opacho." Kat chuckled huskily.

"It's nice to meet you Opacho." She turned to Yoh. "Is there anywhere in this village that serves cinnamon buns, I think Buddy deserves a treat, and he loves cinnamon buns." Buddy agreed with this sentiment with a braying sound not unlike a hoarse donkey.

"Yeah, there's a really good place for cinnamon buns actually." Yoh admitted with a chuckle.

"You hear that Buddy?" Buddy bounced in place, licking his scaly lips with a thick pink tongue. "I say lead on my friend." Yoh grinned and ambled out of the infirmary. The rest of them followed after.

As they walked down the still fairly quiet streets Opacho pestered Kat with questions, which she answered quite patiently. Hao held Opacho in his arms still, fearing that if he let her go Marco would snatch her up. Buddy danced around them all, cavorting about like a puppy let off his leash.

Yoh led them to an outdoor stall where Kalim was quietly whistling to himself while puttering around his stall. Yoh sat down on one of the stools in front of the stall and said hello.

"Hello, Yoh. What can I do for yo...oh my..." The reason for Kalim's exclamation was Hao sitting down with Opacho on his lap and Kat beside him and Buddy peering over them at Kalim. "Can I help you all?" He said politely, albeit nervously.

"How big are your cinnamon buns?" Kat asked, startling him with her low husky voice.

"Uh, about as big as your hand with the fingers outstretched." Kalim replied. Kat tapped her chin with one finger.

"We could probably share two between the four of us, and let Buddy have...oh, probably five." She mused. Hao nodded in agreement and Yoh proceeded to relay the order to the very confused Kalim. He tried not to stare as Yoh and Hao very calmly shared their cinnamon bun while Opacho and Kat shared. So instead he watched as Buddy demolished his cinnamon buns in about five seconds, licked the plate clean and then leaned his head on Kat's shoulder, staring at their cinnamon bun longingly.

"Yoh?" Yoh turned around to see his friends gaping at him with horrified and confused expressions on their faces. He slid off the stool and walked over to them. Horohoro grabbed him and dragged him into their small knot.

"What are you doing, dude?" he hissed. Yoh shrugged casually.

"Having breakfast with my brother and his friends."

"Having breakfast..." Ren repeated, narrowing his eyes. "Do you realize how that sounds?"

"It only sounds that way if you want it to." Yoh retorted. Suddenly Manta let out a scream. The cause of this scream was Buddy's large, blocky head suddenly thrusting itself curiously into his face. Manta stumbled back and sat down heavily. "It's ok Manta." Yoh assured, petting the black dragon's scaly hide. "He's friendly."

Buddy lifted his head, cocking his head at Yoh before rubbing his head against Yoh's side, purring happily. Yoh laughed and gave Manta an I-told-you-so smile.

"Where exactly did he come from?" Horohoro asked in bewilderment. "He's not a spirit."

"He came with me." Yoh's friends looked up and around in confusion at the human girl that came sauntering over, resting her hand on Buddy's head. Kat gazed at them calmly while they stared at her. "I am Kat Blackthorn, and this is Buddy."

"Are you sure it's safe for you to be around here?" Ryu asked. "There are some pretty shady characters here." He gave her what was meant to be an elegant bow, but wound up just looking silly. "I can protect, lovely lady."

Kat giggled. "I think I have it covered." She said as Hao wandered up, Opacho in one arm, and slid the other arm around Kat's waist. Instantly, all Yoh's friends' jaws dropped and their eyes bulged out in shock.

"But...but..how?" Chocolove finally managed to squeak out. Hao chuckled.

"It's a bit of a long story." He said.

"Hao-sama!" Someone called, cutting off any further explanations. Kanna, Mari and Macchi walked up. Kanna raised an eyebrow at Kat and then Buddy.

"So, I'm guessing we've just met the reason for your recent...behavioural changes?" She queried. Hao nodded slowly.

"Cool! Dragon!" Macchi bounced up to Buddy and then stopped short. "Will he eat me?"

"No, Buddy doesn't eat people. Too much cholesterol." Kat explained with a cheeky grin. Chocolove was the only one who laughed at the joke. Hao could see that Yoh's friends were still either distressed or confused, and sighed.

"Why don't we find somewhere a little less open to talk?" He suggested. "I don't really relish the idea of a fight with Marco or the little girl right now."

"I think that's a wise idea." Ren said, crossing his arms and giving Hao a hard, though not quite hostile stare. All of them turned to follow as Hao led the way out of the village, Yoh's friends keeping a careful distance from Hao's girls, and Buddy and Kat.

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Wolf: Review plz!


	15. Chapter 15

Wolf: I own nothing.

Hao led the odd little party up the cliffs, to the place where he and Kat had slept the night before. The fire pit was still there, along with Kat's backpack. Hao pulled off the harness and handed it to Kat to put in her backpack. Hao sat down cross-legged with Opacho in his lap and the rest of them did the same, most staring at Hao's clothing.

It was too...normal to see him in jeans and a shirt, with no earrings or gloves, and were those cuts on his hands? Not to mention the little stick of a human girl that ever so calmly sat down beside him with a sketchbook and began to draw as if it were the most natural thing in the world to be sitting there with a dragon's tail half-curled around her. It was all very confusing.

Hao saw the confusion in Yoh's friends' faces, and a lot less, but still there, on the Hanagumi girls' faces as well. "Well?" Ren finally demanded after a long moment of awkward silence. Hao smiled as Yoh's friends shot Ren a horrified look.

"It actually started a long time ago, about eleven years now." Hao said softly. "It started with a letter from a little girl that only wanted someone to listen. I became that someone, and I have continued to be that someone even today."

"So, you wrote letters to each other?" Kanna asked. When Kat looked up from her drawing and nodded she squinted at her. "Wait, aren't you the one we captured a few weeks ago?" Kat grinned slightly and nodded again before turning back to her drawing. Hao explained the scenario for Yoh's friends, and then explained how he'd found out that Kat was Somebody.

"That's when things started to get...complicated." Hao sighed.

"That would be around the time that you started to act strangely too." Kanna realized. "Hm, I have a feeling the two are connected."

"Indeed, thank you." Hao nodded at her. "I had come to the realization that if I had not found the letters that I would have killed the one true friend I had in this world."

"But," Manta interjected timidly. "If you had achieved the goal of destroying mankind, would you not have done just that anyways?" The diminutive teenager squeaked in fear as Hao turned to regard him with a brooding stare. Hao merely smiled wryly at him however and Manta relaxed a little.

"You are correct, though that realization didn't come until Yoh spoke to me about it, among other things that I had not considered, and did not want to hear." Yoh's friends turned as one to stare at Yoh.

"You actually talked to him?" Horohoro squeaked in a whisper. "About him being wrong? Do you have a death wish?"

"It needed to be done, and I was the only one with the courage, and the knowledge, to do it." Yoh replied evenly. "It was a risk, but it worked. How many opponents has Hao killed in the last little while?" He asked.

"None." Ren realized. He shook his head. "I shouldn't be surprised, you really are very persuasive." Hao chuckled.

"He is. He convinced me to finally meet with Kat, even though I was afraid." Everyone sitting there blinked at him in honest shock. He made a face. "I was afraid that she would not want anything to do with me after meeting me, because I'd tried to kill her."

"I can understand why you'd be scared then." Ren said with careful interest. Hao turned his attention to him and purposely looked into his mind. He found no hostility, just interest and wariness. Of Yoh's friends, Ren would be the one to most understand his situation. Hao waited as Yoh's friends digested his words; he wasn't worried about his girls because they had already shown they'd follow him no matter what.

"So, what happens now?" Chocolove asked tentatively after a minute or so. Hao stared into all their faces, seeing fear, anger, confusion and below all that a deep pain of people who have been hurt by another, and the memory has yet to fade. Hao understood that pain, the pain that had turned into hate later on. It was an awful thing, and he had forced these people, and many more to experience such pain. Regret rooted deep in his soul and settled there.

"For myself, I don't know. I'm not sure where my journey takes me anymore, but I'm sure there are some people here who are willing to guide me." He smiled briefly at both Yoh and Kat. "As for all of you... that, I do not know. How you choose to react to my words is something I cannot predict." He finished tiredly, closing his eyes.

Someone put their hand on his knee and Hao opened his eyes in time for Yoh to give him a soft little reassuring smile. He tried to smile back, but failed miserably. From the other side Kat leaned into him, creating a sort of support for him to lean back into. Opacho simply snuggled herself deeper into his lap and Buddy curled his tail around all of them.

"Well, what Yoh did for me, he could certainly do for you." Ren stated simply after a long minute of silence. "I trust Yoh's judgement, and if the rest of you do at all, you'll accept that Hao has been changed and move on." A small weight lifted off Hao's shoulders, especially when the rest of Yoh's friends began to murmur and nod at Ren's words.

"Ok, but, do we go around acting like we're all buddy-buddy now?" Horohoro asked finally. "I mean, there's still a lot of people that won't like that we're supposedly 'joining' Hao, and that includes your family, Yoh."

"I know." Yoh sighed. "Hao?"

"I think it may be wise to keep this under wraps, for as long as that is possible. The X-Laws seem to have their ways of finding things out." Hao said quietly. "Thank you, for giving me another chance, by the way."

"If Yoh got through to you, you can't be all bad." Horohoro said carelessly, but with a serious look in his eyes.

"Yeah, I mean, he turned Ren, Ryu and Faust around." Manta added. "Um, I have a question for you, miss, uh...?"

"Kat." Kat supplied with the faintest of smiles.

"Okay, Kat. My question is, where on earth did you find a dragon?"

"Manta, after everything you've seen, you're getting hung up on a dragon?" Yoh asked with a slight laugh.

"Well, the ghosts I'm used to, but this is different, this is a real, live breathing legend in front of my eye, and it's acting like her pet dog or something!" Manta cried. Kat chuckled and rubbed the top of Buddy's head.

"I like to consider him my partner, rather than a pet." She said calmly. "And I found him one day in the woods. He'd been downed by a recent storm I think, and couldn't fly away because of his tail."

"What about his tail?" Kat carefully lifted the end of Buddy's tail, showing them the contraption on his tail fin.

"You see, a dragon's tail fin is like a rudder, and without it he can't fly properly." She explained. "For some reason half of Buddy's tail fin got stripped off and he couldn't fly, until I made him this handy little contraption." She wiggled the fake tail fin. "Using a foot pedal I can move it into the correct position and Buddy can fly proper again."

"But you have to be riding him." Ren pointed out.

"Yes, that's the thing, without me, he couldn't get off the ground. He doesn't seem to mind, I think he's just happy he can fly again, right Bud?" Buddy growl-purred and rubbed his head against Kat's leg. "We work well together." She finished, closing her eyes. Ren huffed and then got to his feet, dusting off his pants.

"Well, this has been interesting, but we should probably get going." He gave the steadily rising sun a pointed look. Yoh nodded and stood.

"He's right, if we're going to keep this secret, we should go before someone comes looking for us."

"Too late."

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Wolf: Review plz!


	16. Chapter 16

Wolf: I own nothing.

Everyone slowly turned to see Lyserg standing there, glaring at all of them. Buddy growled at the sight of the white uniform so similar to the one that Marco was wearing. Kat shushed him and watched Lyserg warily, one hand on her companion's head. She noticed a livid purple bruise on the side of his face, much like the one they had found on Opacho's.

"How long have you been there?" Ren finally asked the British boy.

"Only just got here." Lyserg replied shortly, glaring hotly at all of them.

"So you didn't hear what we were just told then." Yoh confirmed calmly.

"I don't need to know what you were talking about!" Lyserg hissed through clenched teeth. "Marco was right about everything, you are on his side!" His green eyes shone with tears. "You lied to me Yoh. I thought you were my friend."

"I am your friend, Lyserg." Yoh said, voice rough with pain. As Yoh and the others tried to convince Lyserg Hao silently handed Opacho to Kat and pulled her close.

"If something bad happens I want to take Opacho and Buddy, and get far away from here." He murmured to her. She stared up at him in surprise.

"What about you?" She asked. His eyes were grave and sorrowful.

"Don't worry about me. Just promise me you will get out of here." Kat's jaw locked stubbornly. Hao gripped her shoulders urgently. "Promise me." He demanded, staring desperately into her grey-blue eyes. Kat saw the urgency in his dark, soulful eyes and nodded reluctantly. Hao kissed Opacho on the forehead and Kat on the lips before backing off and walking purposefully towards Lyserg.

Lyserg saw him and pulled the pistol from his holster, pointing it at Hao. Hao halted and held out his arms. "Go ahead, shoot." He said calmly. "I won't do a thing to stop you." He heard most of the people watching let out a soft gasp and Opacho let out a soft wail. He ignored them, staring into Lyserg's pain and hate-filled eyes.

"Don't toy with me." The green-haired boy stuttered, gripping his pistol with both hands.

"I'm not." Hao replied seriously. Lyserg's hands started to tremble and Hao could see tears pricking the boy's eyes. "It won't make the hurt go away, though."

"How would you know?" Lyserg cried, his whole form shaking now.

"I killed the men that killed my mother, I know." Hao revealed softly. Lyserg's arms lowered just slightly and he stared at Hao in shock. Hao stared back sadly, seeing himself from so long ago in this confused, scared and angry boy. "I should have never forced you to feel the way I did, the way I still do."

"Then why did you!" Lyserg screamed, the tears in his eyes spilling over and sliding down his cheeks.

"How do you feel, when you see a happy family now?" Hao asked quietly. Lyserg snuffled softly.

"Angry, like, why do they get to have what I can never have again." Lyserg replied miserably.

"Exactly, now imagine having that feeling locked up inside for a thousand years." Hao's voice was bitter and low. "It's enough to make anyone a little crazy."

"That doesn't make it right." Lyserg yelled. Hao lowered his head and nodded.

"It doesn't." He agreed. Lyserg lowered his gun further and stared at Hao oddly. "But killing me won't bring them back, and I can't bring them back for you, though I wish I could. What I can do, what we can do, is try to make it so that no one else ever has to feel this sort of pain ever again." Lyserg's hands lowered further and he dropped the gun to the ground.

"How?" He choked out, still snuffling. Yoh edged close and put his arm around Lyserg's shoulders. Lyserg tensed for a moment, then relaxed into the touch.

"That's what we want to figure out." Yoh said gently. "We all know Hao is a shoe-in for Shaman King, we just have to stay by his side and everything will work out."

"How can you trust him though?" Lyserg asked, giving Hao a half-hearted glare.

"Perhaps I can answer that." Lyserg blinked at the unfamiliar, husky voice. He looked up to see Kat wandering up beside Hao, Opacho in her arms and Buddy in tow. Lyserg stared at her a moment before his eyes widened in shock.

"You...you're human." He yelped. She smiled and then grasped Hao's shirtfront, bringing his head down into a soft kiss. Lyserg's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. The fact that Hao was blushing when they parted did not help his confusion.

"But...but...how?" He stammered.

"To make a long story short, he's been writing to me for most of my life, and recently realized what it would mean if he did destroy all the humans." Kat replied with a faint shrug. "After that he asked to meet me and so I did."

"So, you made Hao stop killing people?" Lyserg asked incredulously.

"I may have been the instigator, but Yoh was the catalyst."

"Yoh basically forced me to really think about what I was doing." Hao said in answer to Lyserg's confused look. Lyserg looked over at Yoh, who gave him a gentle smile, which Lyserg couldn't help but return.

"I'm sorry for acting like such a jerk to you, Yoh." Lyserg quietly apologized. Yoh shrugged.

"It's ok. You were just going through some things." He said easily. Lyserg's smile became grateful. Yoh looked at him in concern then.

"What happened to your face?" He asked, gesturing to Lyserg's bruise.

"Marco hit me because I was the one who was supposed to be looking after Opacho when she escaped." Hao suddenly growled softly.

"Did you hurt her too?" He asked in a dangerous tone. Lyserg blanched and shook his head.

"Hao-sama, no, Lyserg was nice to me. He brought me treats when I was upset. Tried to make Marco not be so mean to me." Opacho explained hurriedly. Hao relaxed and took Opacho in his arms.

"I should have let Buddy barbeque him." Kat mumbled, shaking her head at the bruise on Lyserg's face.

Who's Buddy?"

"This is Buddy." Kat replied, patting Buddy on his head. "And I am Kat."

"Is he really real?" Lyserg asked, wide-eyed, taking a couple steps forward. Hao wisely backed off a little so that Lyserg wouldn't feel so uncomfortable.

"He's as real as you or me." Kat replied with a chuckle. "Go ahead, touch him. He won't bite you or anything." Lyserg edged forward, hand outstretched. Buddy sniffed at it and then bumped his head against it, purring softly. Lyserg giggled and rubbed his hand over the smooth scales. Hao cleared his throat quietly after a minute or so.

"I do believe that you all wanted to leave before you were found." He reminded them all.

"yeah, we should go before your family shows up." Horohoro told Yoh. Hao set Opacho down as Yoh's friends got up to leave.

"I would like to be alone with Kat for the moment." He told his girls. They nodded and headed off. As everyone left Hao called out.

"Lyserg." Lyserg stopped and turned. "I'm sorry." Lyserg opened his mouth, closed it, nodded and then walked off. When they were gone Hao stole up behind Kat and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling the back of her neck.

"Hmm." Kat purred in response. "So, you want some alone time?" She teased.

"I wanted to ask where you were heading next." Hao replied huskily.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you intend to fly off again." Hao explained. Kat was silent a moment.

"I might, just because I feel the need to wander, now that I don't have a home." She finally replied.

"Your home could be with me." Hao offered softly. Kat slowly turned her head until she was staring into his serious onyx eyes.

"You want me here, with you?" Hao nodded. "Why?"

"Because I don't want to lose you in any way, now that I have you." Hao replied, murmuring the words against her lips. Kat bit her lip slightly.

"I don't want to feel like I'm tied down. I want the freedom to know that I can leap on Buddy's back and go see Hawaii, or the Great Wall, and no one will stop me from doing so."

"I can promise that." Hao said. "As long as you promise to come back to me." Kat stared into his eyes a long moment more before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.

"Deal."

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Wolf: Review plz!


	17. Chapter 17

Wolf: I own nothing!

Yoh hurried home in order to get his things for training. He thanked his lucky stars that Lyserg had come around, and that no one else had shown up while they were all up there together. It seemed the only ones he had to worry about now were the X-Laws and his own family.

He sighed as he pushed open the door to his house and was immediately beset by his grandfather. "Time is growing short!" Yohmei said impatiently. "The tournament is almost through and still you have come up with nothing!"

"What good does killing him do anyways?" Yoh retorted sharply. "He'll just come back again in 500 years, stronger. We're just creating more problems by taking the destruction route." Yohmei's face turned a deep purple in rage and faster than Yoh could blink he'd slapped his grandson across the face, a stinging blow that hurt even more than any of Anna's ever had.

"Insolent whelp. You'd have us do nothing, wouldn't you?" He sneered. "Little weakling." Yoh said nothing, simply looked down at his grandfather with a pitying expression, turned on his heel and left the room. He ignored the angry bellow from behind him and locked himself in the bathroom.

He gazed into the mirror, seeing a dark bruise already forming where his grandfather had struck him. It was clear that Yoh was going to get hell from his grandfather when he came out that he wasn't going to be Hao's enemy anymore. He wasn't sure how his father would react, he wasn't around enough for Yoh to really know what he was like. His mother was as gentle as he was, and Yoh was certain that she would understand. And Anna...Yoh just wasn't sure.

A soft knock at the door made him lift his head. "Yoh? Will you let me in?" It was Anna's voice that came to him, but she sounded tentative, unsure. Yoh unlocked the door and Anna slipped in, closing the door behind her. She held in her hands an ice pack wrapped in a towel and she carefully lifted it to place it over Yoh's throbbing face. Yoh sighed and closed his eyes; the numbing cold felt so good on his face.

"I think I've been unfair to you lately." She suddenly said quietly. Yoh opened his eyes and stared down at her in surprise. She kept her gaze locked on the ice pack she held to his cheek, not quite meeting his eyes.

"What makes you say that?" Yoh asked coaxingly.

"I keep pressuring you to come up with a solution to all our problems, you must be so stressed out." Anna replied uncharacteristically quiet and slightly forlorn. "I was just so...so..."

"Scared?" Yoh offered. Anna nodded, looking down.

"You were almost lost in that battle and I was afraid with Hao back again, I would lose you for sure. I was frustrated and frightened, and I took that out on you." Anna mumbled. "It wasn't fair of me."

Yoh quietly took the ice pack from Anna, set it aside and grasped both her hands gently. Anna looked up at him, desperately trying to hide her upset face behind her usual expressionless mask, but failing miserably. Yoh leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I knew it had to be something like that, you're not cruel Anna, thoughtless sometimes, but everyone is at times, aren't they?" Yoh smiled at Anna and lifted his hand to brush the blonde bangs clinging to her face away. "I promise there won't be anything more to be scared of very soon." Anna looked at him, startled.

"Do you mean you've found some way to kill him?" She asked eagerly. Yoh gave her a stern look and shook his head.

"I only struck at him that time because it was the only option left. Now, I have other options."

"Like what?" The bite was back in Anna's voice, but Yoh simply placed his hands on her face and stared seriously into her brown eyes.

"Anna, do you trust me?" He asked, voice soft and solemn. Anna blinked at him and opened her mouth, prepared to lecture him, but something in his dark eyes gave her pause and she stopped to think.

"I do, more than I think I should sometimes, but I do." She admitted quietly.

"Then please, trust me now." Yoh pleaded. Anna said nothing as Yoh took her hand and led her from the bathroom and out of the house. Yoh looked around, wondering if Hao and Kat would still be up at the cliff, and decided to head up there anyways just to see.

"What the hell?" Anna suddenly yelled, jerking her hand out of his grip. Yoh then felt hot breath on the back of his neck and heard a soft snort. Turning slowly he found himself eye to eye with Buddy. The massive dragon sniffed at his face and wriggled happily. Yoh looked over to see Anna taking off her beads, eyes narrowed at the dragon.

"That won't do any good, he's alive." Yoh explained gently, patting Buddy on the nose, to the delight of the very puppy-like dragon.

"Alive?" Anna repeated. A husky voice rang out from behind them.

"Alive and a pain in the arse." Kat commented as she thumped Buddy on the side good-naturedly. She gripped the sides of his head and pulled his face close to hers. "You need to stick close to me, you understand? We've already made some enemies here, I don't want you getting killed." Buddy snorted and head-butted her lightly.

"And who exactly are you?" Anna asked snappily. Kat turned and blinked at her.

"I am Kat Blackthorn, and this is my friend, Buddy." She said simply. Anna narrowed her eyes at the older girl but her attention was soon taken by the sight of Hao leisurely walking up.

"What do you want here?" Anna demanded coldly of him. Hao shrugged his shoulders.

"Just coming to pick up my girlfriend." He said, casually snaking an arm around Kat's waist. Anna's jaw dropped at the sight and Hao couldn't help but let his lips curl into a small smirk.

"G-girlfriend?" Anna managed to squeak.

"It's a long story." Kat said, placing her hand over the one on her waist.

"Why don't we sit somewhere and have lunch while we discuss it?" Yoh suggested. Buddy's head perked up at the mention of lunch and uttering a coughing growl me bounced around the four of them excitedly, his tail fin clipping Hao on the back of the head.

"Always thinking about food, aren't you." Hao sighed, running his head. He then turned and began to walk towards the vendors, Kat beside him and Yoh and Anna trailing after.

"Yoh!" Anna hissed quietly at her fiancé. Yoh gave her an amused look.

"Trust me, Anna." He murmured, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. Anna went quiet, but her face told him she was not happy about this. Hao led them to a small Japanese food vendor and soon they all sat down with their bowls. Buddy settled down on the ground beside their table with a much larger bowl of his own.

Yoh, Kat and Hao related the entire story to Anna by turns as she glared at all of them, poking at the food in her bowl. "You could have gotten yourself killed doing this." She scolded Yoh when they were done. Buddy had finished his food and now had his head on the table, staring longingly at her barely touched food.

"I could have gotten myself killed going into battle with him." Yoh pointed out. "And I almost did."

"True, but what made you think that something like this was even possible?" Anna demanded.

"Because I chose to see the man, not the monster." Yoh replied calmly. "No one wants to think of their opponent as anything else but evil, but they're still people, no matter what anyone thinks. Everybody was willing to damn him, but I was the only one willing to save him." Anna's brow furrowed at the oddly eloquent speech.

"What if you had failed?" She challenged. Yoh shrugged.

"I had to try, no matter the consequences, the cycle of hatred had to be stopped." He said bluntly. "All killing Hao would have done was pissed him off even more and set him up to be even stronger at the next tournament. It never ends when destruction is involved, because someone always winds up feeling the need to pay back the one they felt wronged them."

"The only true evil in this world in my opinion are those people who are cruel for the sake of being cruel, or find it fun." Kat added. She raised an eyebrow at Anna. "He's not going to stop staring at that food until it's gone one way or another." She said, patting Buddy's head. Anna made a face and pushed the bowl across the table. Buddy gulped down the food in seconds and languidly licked the bowl clean.

"I can't believe you told Lyserg he could shoot you." Anna told Hao incredulously. Yoh and Hao smiled at each other, Anna didn't dwell on things and she was quick to accept something once she understood it.

"I knew he wouldn't do it." Hao replied evenly. "No matter what he told himself, he didn't have it in him to kill someone."

"I never thought so either." Anna sniffed. "So, why all the secrecy, Yoh?"

"I wasn't sure how people were going to react." Yoh shrugged. "Things were so tense, I didn't want to shake the boat."

"Speaking of which, I think you two should make yourself scarce before someone really starts to take notice of this conversation." Hao pointed out.

"And why is that?"

"If the X-Laws find out, you both have automatic targets on your heads. I can't always be around to make sure nothing happens to you. When I am Shaman King, I'm sure I can, but until then..." He trailed off, looking worried. The expression was so foreign on his face that any stubbornness that Anna may have been retaining dropped away and she simply nodded and stood up.

"Well, that's one potential disaster avoided." Yoh murmured before getting up and following his fiancé. Anna shook her head at him when he took her hand again. Yoh was definitely feeling emboldened by today's successes and it showed in the big, cheeky grin he wore on his face.

"I don't know whether to be mad, or impressed by you." Anna stated.

"Why not be both?" Yoh asked. Anna considered this and then shrugged her shoulders. Yoh walked her all the way back to their house and followed her inside.

"Don't you have training?" Anna asked, bemused by Yoh's puppy-like plodding after her.

"I do, but I forgot one thing I needed to do before that."

"And what's that?" Faster than Anna could blink Yoh had his hands on Anna's cheeks and his body pressed up against hers.

"This." He said before leaning down and pressing his lips against hers. Her eyes widened and she felt her face heat up despite the chaste quality of the kiss. Yoh pulled away after a moment, smiling softly.

"Goodbye." He whispered and then was out the door and running.

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Wolf: Review plz!


	18. Chapter 18

Wolf: I own nothing!

So, you kissed her?" Horohoro asked. "And she didn't kill you?"

"Well, I didn't stick around long enough for her to retaliate actually." Yoh replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "She might do something to me later when I go back home."

"Great Spirits, she'll probably murder you!" Chocolove cried with a sympathetic shake of his head.

"I don't know about that." Yoh simply said. Then all of them paused as the sound of shouting reached them. Lyserg stormed out onto the street, Marco following after him along with the Iron Maiden. Lyserg was wearing a white blouse, black slacks and his old green plaid cloak.

"You are making a huge mistake Lyserg." Marco shouted at the British boy, face purple with rage.

"Actually, I think for once I'm making the right decision." Lyserg retorted, not turning to look back. He saw Yoh and the others and smiled, jogging towards them. "Hey, guys." He said breathlessly.

"Hey." Yoh replied evenly.

"He is one of Hao's now!" Marco continued to yell. "He will betray you!"

"That's getting kind of irritating isn't it?" Ren commented. "Shall we go?" The others nodded in agreement. Lyserg nudged Yoh.

"Isn't that Kat?" He asked, pointing down the street. Yoh looked, and it was indeed Kat and Buddy wandering lazily around, Hao nowhere in sight.

"That is Kat." Horohoro confirmed.

"You think it's safe for her to be out here without Hao?" Lyserg whispered.

"Why don't we keep an eye on her, just in case?" Yoh suggested. Everyone else agreed. Marco had seen them staring at Kat and so then he zeroed in on the girl.

"YOU! GIRL!" He roared. Kat stopped dead and favoured him with an icy glare.

"My name is Kat, thank you very much." She said coldly.

"You were with Hao, the monster, why?" He demanded. Kat ignored him to look at the Iron Maiden.

"Missy, aren't you hot in that getup?" She asked. The Iron Maiden was wearing her dress that covered her whole body, from head to toe, in the middle of summer heat.

"She is the Iron Maiden, our holy girl, and you will worship her for the holiness that she is." Marco roared.

"I will do no such thing." Kat retorted stubbornly. Marco's mouth opened and closed fish-like, but the Iron Maiden just blinked at Kat.

"Why do you ally yourself with Hao?" She asked. "He seeks to destroy your kind."

"Not that it's really any of your business, but he's been my only friend since I was very little." Kat replied evenly.

"Explain this!" Marco yelped furiously.

"I will not." Kat snapped. "Because nothing I say to you will ever get through that thick, hate-filled skull of yours, so I'm not going to waste my breath."

"Then you die!" Marco screamed and summoned Michael, his angel spirit.

"Uh-oh." Horohoro breathed. Yoh didn't waste any second, drawing his sword he ran for Kat, dropping the blocks keeping in his new power. As he leapt in front of Kat he formed an Over-Soul. It was not his normal giant sword, but a form more like that which he was able to use in his fight with Hao, basically a giant Amidamaru. Yoh had spent weeks figuring it out with his guardian and now he was going to see just how effective it was.

Marco's Oversoul and his clashed and Yoh found it surprisingly easy to repel the man who up to a few weeks ago probably could have wiped the floor with him. Marco was stunned as well and that gave Yoh the opportunity to destroy his Oversoul completely. The Iron Maiden looked ready to summon her own Oversoul, but she halts and Yoh feels a presence at his side.

Without looking he knows it's the Spirit of Fire. He looks down to see Hao standing beside Kat, arms folding and glaring at Marco and the holy girl severely. It's not a hate-filled glare; it's more of a disapproving, stern look. Yoh can see that the Iron Maiden is surprised by his appearance, which isn't shocking, seeing as Hao is still wearing his white shirt and now scuffed jeans.

"I'd suggest leaving Kat alone." Hao's tone is even, but there is no mistaking the threat behind it.

"You mean leave your whore alone?" Marco sneered. Kat put out a hand to stop Hao from going over and beating Marco to a pulp and gave Marco a falsely sweet smile.

"I'd let Buddy eat you, but you'd give him indigestion. I will, however, let him charbroil you if I hear another slur about me, or anyone else I see fit, come from your mouth, understand?" Marco growled at her. Buddy growled back and Marco took one look at the pissed off dragon and turned away, doing his best to not look like he was retreating in fear.

"I think one of us is going to wind up having to kill him someday." Hao commented to everyone as Yoh dispelled his Oversoul and his friends came running over.

"You may be right about that." Ren said. "And Yoh, when did you get those power levels?" He demanded. Yoh rubbed his head, looking sheepish.

"Right after me and Hao's fight." He admitted.

"Probably happened because of the fight." Lyserg speculated.

"Seems logical." Ren stated. "The absorption of your soul would have been akin to dying." Yoh flinched at the mention of it, and concerned, Hao put an arm around his shoulders.

"He doesn't like to be reminded of that." Hao said to everyone.

"I wouldn't either." Manta said with a shudder. "The way he screamed..." Yoh's face went pale and Hao gently squeezed his shoulder.

"I'm ok, really."

"Are you saying that because you're really ok, or you think that's what they want to hear?" Anna's voice rang out from behind them. Everyone turned as she strode up and placed her hands on her hips, giving Yoh a severe look. "You're very good at that, pretending everything's fine. Don't think I haven't noticed."

"I'd never think that." Yoh replied honestly. "And I really am fine, it's not something I liked being brought up, but I'm ok with it."

"Alright then. Now, about that kiss..." Yoh gave her an apologetic grin and backed up a little.

"What about it?" He asked nervously. Anna marched straight up to him and gripped his collar. He gulped, looking down into her unrevealing face. Then she did something that astonished them all. She pulled his head down and kissed him for all she was worth. Most of the boys' jaws dropped, but Kat began to laugh instead.

"Well." Yoh could think of nothing else to say when they parted, him blushing like mad and her trying not to.

"Any of you say anything and you're in a world of pain." She threatened the rest of them.

"I like this chick." Kat whispered to Hao.

"I thought you might." Hao whispered back.

"What are you doing out here anyways Anna, it's not like you to come looking for me, usually I have to go looking for you." Yoh pointed out.

"Your family wants to see you." Anna replied bluntly. Yoh stiffened at her tone. Horohoro shook his head.

"That does not sound good."


	19. Chapter 19

Wolf: I own nothing!

"What's going on Anna?" Yoh asked as he followed his fiancé home. He was still reeling from Anna's forceful kiss. Part of him was surprised at the show of affection, the rest of him was gleefully pleased at Anna's unconventional admission of love towards him.

"I don't know." Anna shrugged, once again the ice queen. "But, Marco did just leave."

Yoh stopped dead in his tracks. It took a moment for Anna to realize that Yoh was not with her and when she looked back her stomach twisted at Yoh's pale, horrified face. "Yoh?" She asked, walking up to him. She got no reaction until she put one cool hand on his face. He jerked and looked down at her.

"Marco told them, I'm sure of it."

"Told them what?" Anna asked. "What did you do?" Yoh shook his head.

"I couldn't just stand there and watch him destroy Kat, so I defended her. He probably took that as a sure sign that I was on Hao's side." Anna shook her head at him, but she didn't call him an idiot, instead she said

"Well, I suppose it would be pointless to tell you not to be yourself, now wouldn't it?" Yoh smiled wanly at her, but the smile soon disappeared.

"I'd hoped to have more time to break this to them, but it seems fate has other plans." He sighed. Anna awkwardly patted his cheek and then turned to keep moving.

"Yoh, if you don't come now, they'll just hunt you down." She yelled when Yoh didn't follow. Yoh heaved a sigh, shoved his hands in his pockets and ambled after her, looking like a man on the way to the gallows.

As he stepped into the house he was immediately enveloped in a warm hug. He blinked in surprise, and then recognised the light, orchid scented perfume that the person was wearing. "Kaa-san?" He gasped in surprise, pulling back to look his mother in the face. Keiko Asakura smiled at her son happily.

"I've missed you so much, Yoh!" She cried, embracing him again. "Oh my, you've grown." Yoh stood nearly as tall as her now. "Look at you, you're almost all grown up."

"Kaa-san..." Yoh grumbled in embarrassment. "Stop that."

"Yoh! Get in here, now!" His grandfather's angry voice bellowed out of the living room area, making him flinch. His mother gave him a sympathetic look and followed him in. Yohmei scowled at him darkly, clearly pissed off. Not for the first time Yoh wished his father didn't wear that mask, as it meant that he couldn't see how his father was feeling at this time.

"Sit." Yohmei ordered. Yoh's fists clenched and he stayed standing. He'd had enough of being told what to do, and between Hao being accepted by his friends, and Anna's kiss, he was feeling daring. His grandfather's scowl grew deeper, but he did not draw out an argument. "Tell me what Marco has told me is not true."

"Depends on what he told you." Yoh replied, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the doorframe. He was treading dangerous waters, keeping up this rebellious face, but enough was enough. They, especially his grandfather, needed to realize he was not their puppet.

"He told me that you and Hao were being...chummy with each other. Those were his exact words, and that you had defended one of his from attack." Yohmei growled. "Tell me you aren't so foolish."

"Well, that depends on your definition of foolishness, doesn't it?" Yoh's voice was low and cold, strangely different from the normally happy young man that they all knew. "Yes, I protected Hao's young lady friend, Kat, from Marco. If you think for an instant that I was going to allow her to be killed in front of me, then you are the fool." Yohmei's face slowly turned a dark red.

"You do realize that you are undermining our goal to get rid of Hao once and for all, don't you?"

"That was never my goal, only yours." Yoh countered.

"What are you trying to say, Yoh?" Mikihisa's voice was quiet, toneless. Yoh took a deep breath. This was it, the moment he found out whether or not they truly trust him.

"I'm saying that destruction is not the only route to stopping Hao's plan." Yoh said. "Instead of trying to damn him, why not try to save him? Instead of adding the cycle of destruction, why not stop it?"

"He's beyond saving!" Yohmei yelled.

"No one is beyond saving, not if you know how to." Yoh said. "And I did that, I saved him from his own destructiveness and pain. In a matter of weeks kindness and words did what a thousand years of killing couldn't. I got him to stop."

"You're a fool if you believe that Hao would back down to 'kindness and words'." Yohmei sneered at his grandson.

"Words can start a war, words can tear a heart in two, or they could mend that same heart." Yoh replied evenly. "If you don't believe me then look at the evidence. Hao has killed no one in weeks, where it used to be his practice to kill his opponents if he felt they were too weak. And the other strange detail; the girl that Hao and I defended from Marco today was in fact human." Silence reigned at his words.

"He defended a human?" Mikihisa asked, voice hoarse with disbelief.

"He loves her." Yoh replied. "I think enough that he would die for her, just as I would die for Anna." Yohmei shook his head.

"You are clearly addled, or spelled." He groaned. "Yoh, go up to your room, and you are not to leave until we get to whatever is ailing you."

"I am not ill." Yoh protested. "And I'm not going." Yohmei's red face grew purple.

"You're going if I have to force you." He growled and then faster than Yoh could react his leaf sprites attacked him, knocking him out cold in an instant.

&%&%&%&%

Yoh woke slowly, with a pounding headache thanks to his grandfather. His eyes shot open as he felt someone place a cool cloth on his forehead. His mother smiled down at him when she saw that he was awake.

"How do you feel, my son?" She asked him. Yoh sat up and groaned.

"Like someone hit me over the head with a ton of bricks." He rubbed his head ruefully. "Well, that went down well." He sighed.

"Your grandfather is too bound by the traditions of this family, you must not blame him for the ignorance that was passed down to him." Keiko said quietly. When Yoh looked at her she smiled. "So Hao is in love with a human girl?"

"Yeah." Yoh went on to explain the strange friendship Kat and Hao had shared for so many years. Keiko's smile grew wider.

"It's not surprising that such a close friendship grew into something more." She said. "I wish I could see the two of them, but Tou-san's spirits are keeping us all in under his orders."

"Not anymore." Anna said smugly from the doorway. "I took care of them."

"Anna?" Yoh gasped, standing up and staring at her.

"If you're going to go see him then you'd better do it now." Anna stated. Yoh nodded and took his mother's hand, leading her outside. He only realized when he walked out into darkness and looked up into the star-studded sky that it was night.

"Hmm, I wonder if they'd still be up." He mused, half to himself.

"There's a fire's glow atop the cliff there." His mother murmured. Yoh followed her pointing finger and saw the firelight in the spot where he and Hao would meet, and where Kat had come to meet them.

"I'll bet that's them, come on Kaa-san." Yoh said, taking Keiko's hand again and trotting up the natural 'stairs' in the cliff side. When they came to the top their way was blocked by a dark figure that dropped out of the trees in front of them, making Keiko let out a weak scream of fright. Both relaxed a little when the figure stepped into the moonlight, revealing that it was in fact, Mikihisa.

"What are you two doing out here?" He demanded, though his voice was not harsh.

"We're going to see Hao and Kat." Yoh replied. "Are you going to try to stop us?"

"No..." Mikihisa said after a pause. "But, I will accompany you to make sure that you are not hurt."

"Thank you Mikihisa." Keiko sighed. Mikihisa said nothing, but simply trailed the two of them as they made their way to the fire's glow. Suddenly Keiko screamed again as a large dark shape bounded towards them from the fire, yellow eyes glowing in the dark.

"Kaa-san, it's ok!" Yoh yelped, putting up a hand to stop his father from attacking Buddy. "It's just Buddy, he's very friendly."

"Friendly?" Mikihisa repeated sceptically, staring at the large black dragon that had stopped about five feet away from them. "It won't eat us?"

"No, he does like to eat cinnamon buns, though." Yoh explained, reaching out a hand to pat Buddy.

"And shoes." Hao's mildly annoyed, amused voice drifted to them from the fire. Yoh blinked and wandered forward to stand in front of his seated brother, despite a warning hiss from his father.

"Shoes?" Yoh repeated, raising an eyebrow. Hao chuckled.

"I took my shoes off for five seconds, I turned around and they were gone and Buddy was chewing on something." He said. His feet were indeed bare, and Buddy burped, as though in agreement.

"Yeah, he likes the rubber." Kat said, stretching languidly in her position sitting in Hao's lap. "And who've you brought us now, Yoh? Gods above, the introductions don't end around here, do they?"

Keiko and Mikihisa did not answer, staring shocked at the human girl sitting so calmly in the lap of the man that had up until a short time ago, hated humans enough to seek to destroy them all. Said man now had his one arm wrapped around her middle, hand entwined with hers, while the other absently stroked her hair, a small smile on his lips the whole while.

Keiko was the first to move. "Hello." She said softly to Hao, sitting down by the fire. Mikihisa shifted uneasily, but Keiko sent him a reassuring smile and he stilled, but did not relax.

"Hello." Hao replied gently.

"Do you know who I am?" Keiko asked. Hao smiled quietly at her, and Keiko could find not a hint of malevolence in it at all, in fact it reminded her quite a bit of Yoh's trademark smile.

"Of course. How could I forget my own mother?" Hao chuckled slightly. Mikihisa shifted again and Hao's eyes found his face. The smile died and was replaced by dark sorrow.

"I will not ask for your forgiveness, Mikihisa, because I know it is not deserved. I will say though that I am deeply sorry for the pain that I've caused you." Hao said quietly, barely above a whisper. In Mikihisa's mind he felt a tumult of different emotions warring with each other. Anger at him, mixed with the doctrine he had grown up with clashed with Mikihisa's trust in Yoh and the realization that Hao was being perfectly honest with him.

"I suppose...I suppose that even you can have a change of heart." Mikihisa finally said slowly. "And I think Yoh is right, about stopping the cycle of destruction."

"Destruction only begets more destruction." Kat intoned softly, rubbing her hand over Buddy's head.

"Forgive me, I did not ask your name." Keiko said. Kat smiled at her.

"I am Kat Blackthorn, and this is my friend, Buddy." Kat patted Buddy on his big black head, inciting a growling hum of contentment from the dragon. A moment of silence followed, after which Mikihisa broached the question both he and Keiko were thinking of.

"Where do we go from here?"

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Wolf: Review plz!


	20. Chapter 20

Wolf: I own nothing!

"Well, first of all, I really don't think I want to go back to the house." Yoh said quietly. "Grandfather will just try to lock me up, and probably you two as well." He gave his parents an apologetic look.

"You're all welcome in my house, the girls will not mind." Hao offered. Mikihisa hesitated a fraction of a second, still not quite over old prejudices, but he nodded in assent. Hao doused the fire and stood up, taking Kat's hand and leading the way down the cliff.

"You think we can stop and pick up Anna on the way?" Yoh asked his brother. Hao nodded briefly and then turned his attention to the darkness around them, ever wary of an unexpected attack. When they got to the bottom of the cliff Anna was already waiting for them.

"I figured you probably wouldn't want to be going back to wherever your grandfather was." She explained in response to Yoh's unspoken question.

"You'll come with us?" Yoh asked, a goofy grin beginning to spread across his face.

"What kind of fiancé would I be if I didn't follow you?" Anna demanded. "Besides, someone's got to make sure you're keeping up with your training."

"Oh, Anna." Yoh enfolded Anna in a soft embrace, nuzzling her affectionately. "I love you."

"Stop that." Anna ordered, shoving him away, but Yoh could see a faint smile on her lips. The seven of them continued on through the darkened streets, heading for Hao's home. Unfortunately Buddy was unable to fit inside, but he soon found that the warm roof was much to his liking as a sleeping location.

When they went inside, Kat was immediately 'kidnapped' by the Hanagumi girls, for 'girl-time'. Just as quickly Yoh, Anna and his parents found rooms of their own to sleep in; it was quite late after all. This left Hao alone, wide awake and unable to sleep. Sighing, he decided to see if Buddy would appreciate his company on the roof.

The big obsidian dragon opened one yellow eye as Hao stepped onto the warm stones of the roof. Buddy uttered a soft chuffing noise and rolled over onto his side, inviting Hao to come sit. Hao sat down heavily with a sigh and leaned his back against Buddy's warm, scaled flank.

"He's a magnificent animal." Both Hao and Buddy lifted their heads at Mikihisa's voice.

"He is." Hao replied.

"What happened to his tail?" Mikihisa asked, pointing at Kat's contraption.

"His tail fin got damaged, and Kat made him a prosthetic so that he could fly." Hao explained. Mikihisa nodded and then fell silent. Hao sensed that he was still struggling with a few things.

"Why her? Why this Kat?" The masked man finally blurted. Hao heard the underlying question within; why a human?

"It's a long story." Hao sighed and then gestured for Mikihisa to sit. After an initial hesitation Mikihisa sat himself down cross-legged across from Buddy and Hao. Hao slowly related the tale of how he became friends with Kat. When he was done he stared up into the night sky, allowing Mikihisa to digest his story.

"You never once thought about how destroying the human race would also mean her destruction?" Mikihisa's voice was merely curious, not accusing.

"She was different, I don't know how to explain it, it was like now that I knew her, she wasn't just another faceless human, she was a person."

"And you'd long since stopped thinking of humans as people."

"Yes." Hao admitted. Mikihisa nodded.

"And then Yoh reminded you that she was in fact human and..."

"It shattered everything I thought I knew." Hao finished, looking down at his hands. "And then Yoh helped me pick up the pieces."

"He has a talent for that sort of thing." Mikihisa mused. "We should have never forced these responsibilities on him. It is not in his nature to kill."

"Once upon a time I would have said that made him weak. But I think he's stronger than anyone I've ever met." Hao said, admiration and affection in his voice. Mikihisa let out a low laugh.

"You really have changed." Hao inclined his head slightly, but said nothing more. For a few moments he studied Mikihisa, in particular the mask he wore.

"May I ask you a question?" Mikihisa jerked slightly at his voice, but then nodded. "I did not think my spirit had injured you so badly when I was born, so why do you still wear the mask after all this time? Surely the wounds have mostly healed."

"There is still scarring, but it is minimal." Mikihisa admitted, touching the mask. "The mask is more to remind me of my...failure."

"I'm not certain you need that reminder anymore." Hao replied. "You should take it off. Your son has never seen your face after all." Mikihisa was silent a moment.

"I...will think on it." He said finally before standing up and taking his leave of Hao. Hao sat there for a couple minutes more, contemplating the stars, before finding his own bed and slipping into a peaceful slumber.

%&%&%&%

Yoh was awakened the next morning with a shake of his shoulder. "Come on, lazy." Anna snapped at him. "Time to get up and do your training." Yoh yawned and got up to get dressed while Anna went back downstairs. Yoh clattered down the stairs but was snagged by Hao at the bottom.

"I will be doing your training for today." He said evenly.

"Huh?" Yoh blinked in confusion at his brother.

"Why are you going to be training him?" Anna demanded from the kitchen doorway.

"He now possesses a power level in which he can do things that most shamans can't even dream of. I can teach him those things." Hao explained. At this Anna looked intrigued and she nodded her agreement. Hao led Yoh out of the house and left the rest of them to it.

"What sort of things can Hao teach him?" Kat asked, sipping at a mug of tea.

"There are any number of things. Shamans with high power levels can heal, manipulate nature, even cheat death, like Hao has done." Mikihisa explained. "The fact that Hao offered this, to put Yoh in the same ranks as him, is nothing short of astonishing." Kat shrugged her shoulders.

"Isn't that what a brother's supposed to do? Teach the younger?" She asked.

"I suppose, but they were not really brotherly before." Mikihisa replied.

"Well, now they are." Kat said with finality. "Don't get hung up on details. My ma always preached the KISS principle." When the shamans just gave her a blank look she sighed. "It means, keep it simple stupid."

%&%&%&%

Hao walked with Yoh back to the house as the noonday sun beat over their heads. He'd begun this morning with a lesson in healing, and had been pleasantly surprised by Yoh's quick understanding and mastering of this new skill he had taught the younger. It shouldn't have surprised him, Yoh had already proven to be a lot smarter than he acted, but old habits die hard.

"You did good today, Yoh." He praised. Yoh blushed lightly and looked away.

"I had a good teacher, aniki." Hao stopped and his whole body flushed with warmth as his mind repeated the word aniki to him. The familiar honorific told Hao that Yoh not only trusted him, but also cared for him very much. A couple weeks ago Hao would have laughed in Yoh's face for the use of that word, but now he only felt relief mixed with a deep swelling of his heart.

"Thank you, otouto." Yoh grinned at him happily. Hao found himself grinning back and he slung an arm around Yoh's shoulders, pulling him into a sideways embrace. "For everything." He murmured. Yoh shrugged in his usual easy-going way.

"That's what I do." The two of them laughed as they headed inside the house. They could hear squeals and laughter from the back of the house, so they went out to investigate. The Hanagumi girls were throwing apples in the air and laughing as Buddy leapt around, eating them out of the air. Kat watched from the sidelines with amusement evident on her face.

"Having fun?" Hao asked as he stole up beside her. Kat turned to him and smiled, leaning up to kiss him on the lips.

"Your girls really like Buddy, and he really likes them." She commented. Hao hummed and wrapped his arms around her waist, watching Yoh join in the game. The Hanagumi accepted him easily, like he was already a part of their group.

"I think this is the most content I've been since Ma died." Kat commented quietly. Hao said nothing, allowing her to continue. "I've been restless since then, always on the move because nowhere felt quite right."

"It didn't feel like home." Hao added. Kat nodded her head.

"Here, it's different. I look at your girls, and Yoh, and you, and I see family."

"It's a bit of an odd family." Hao chuckled. Kat shrugged.

"It's a family all the same, can't you see it?" Hao looked at the girls laughing away with Yoh and Buddy, seeing how they all were so...so together with each other.

"Yes, yes I do see it."

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Wolf: Review plz!


	21. Chapter 21

Wolf: I own nothing!

Jeanne, the Iron Maiden, walked down the empty streets bathed in the long shadows of early morning. She had tired of Marco's incessant grumbling and chose to take a walk in order to be able to hear herself think for once. She was thinking about the girl, Kat, who seemed to have Hao wrapped around her little finger, and wondered not for the first time what power that girl held over him.

"Good morning missy." A lazy, drawling voice called from somewhere above her. The Iron Maiden looked around and saw Kat, with the large black dragon, sitting on the flat roof of Hao's current abode. Kat leisurely sipped from a steaming mug and smiled at Jeanne. "What brings you out so early in the morning?"

"That is not your business." Jeanne replied haughtily. Kat nodded at her.

"Fair enough. Is your name not my business either?" She asked. Jeanne blinked and then frowned in confusion.

"I do not understand."

"I know that you're called the Iron Maiden, 'because you spend most of your time in the torture device of the same name." Kat grimaced lightly at the thought. "But, you must have a real name, right?" Jeanne considered saying that it was not her business and then relented.

"Jeanne, my name is Jeanne." She told Kat.

"Jeanne." Kat rolled the name on her tongue. "That's really pretty. Do you know mine?"

"Kat." Jeanne replied immediately.

"Do you know his?" Kat asked, gesturing at Buddy with her coffee mug. Buddy took the opportunity to lap at the coffee left inside. Jeanne frowned and shook her head. "Well, his name is Buddy, because he is my buddy." Jeanne nodded her head at this logic.

"It seems that Hao has managed to put together a new army." She commented after a moment of silence. In the last few days, the friends loyal to Yoh had all moved into Hao's house, making it a lot noisier, and a lot more fun.

"It's more of a family, actually." Kat replied, to Jeanne's surprise.

"What does that mean?" She demanded in confusion.

"It means that we care about each other, and we have fun with each other." Kat shrugged. "That's the basic gist I guess."

"Even Hao?" Jeanne asked sceptically.

"Even him." Jeanne thought about that for a moment.

"You do know that he is a murderer many times over, don't you?" She asked. Kat closed her eyes and sighed.

"I do know that. But I also know a different side of him, and that he is capable of great kindness." Kat replied softly.

"He needs to be punished for his crimes."

"What gives you the right to do that though, missy?" Kat queried calmly. "What makes you better than him? You've killed people too." She reminded Jeanne.

"That was for justice." Jeanne protested.

"Was it?" Kat asked simply, and then stood up and wandered off. Jeanne frowned, but then continued on her walk, the strange girl's voice echoing in her head.

%&%&%&%

Hao woke up to find Kat's face hanging over his. "Good morning, beautiful." He yawned, reaching up to pull her down into a kiss.

"Good morning to you too." She replied, smiling happily. "Today's the big day."

"It is." Hao agreed, sitting up. Today was the last of the shaman fights, between him and Yoh. Whoever won this one got to be the Shaman King. Instead of getting up Hao pulled Kat down into another kiss that quickly turned into a lazy make out session.

"We'd better get out of here before Anna comes looking." Kat said, finally pushing him away with a laugh. Hao sighed and reluctantly got up. Kat left the room while he dressed. When he came down Mikihisa handed him a mug of tea.

"Yohmei was by again." Mikihisa commented. Hao sighed in annoyance. The old man was not happy about being abandoned and frequently showed up to try and convince his offspring to come back. It never worked; mostly it just annoyed everyone in the house. Strangely enough they had heard little from the X-Laws.

"Hao-sama is going to win today!" Macchi squealed happy.

"I've got my money on Yoh." Kanna replied. Of the three Hanagumi she had been the quickest to quit treating Hao as a leader, and more as a friend. The other two still needed convincing.

"Do you have such little faith in me? I'm hurt." Hao teased with a merry twinkle in his eyes. Yoh laughed and then got up with his sword.

"Shall we get going?" He asked them all. There was a multitude of loud scrapes as everyone got up and headed for the door.

It wasn't long until the full stadium was cheering for the two Asakura brothers as they threw everything they had at each other. The battle was long and hard and their friends could see that both were beginning to tire. It didn't really matter which one won, they both had the same ideas in mind, and would work together to change the world, but both felt it would be an insult not to give it all they had.

Both of them had little furyiochu left, so they charged forward in one last attack. The blast that followed nearly blinded the entire arena. When the light and the dust cleared, Yoh and Hao stood panting in the arena, both completely out of furyiochu. The question was; who had run out first?

Silence reigned as all waited for the final verdict from the Great Spirit itself. The screen finally flickered to life, and it read... HAO AND YOH ASAKURA. The crowd went wind as they realized that they had the first ever shared Shaman King title. Yoh and Hao just stared, too tired to comprehend what had happened. It was only when they were bombarded by their screaming friends that realization hit.

Not long after that they were led by the officials to be joined with the Great Spirit. Their friends had to wait outside the council's underground rooms for them. Immediately Manta began to pace, Chocolove tried to crack some jokes, Ren and Horohoro tried to silence him, while the girls all sat down with Buddy and worried silently, especially Anna and Kat.

All the sudden Marco stepped out of the shadows, dishevelled and wild-eyed, pistol in hand. "It should have been us to win that, not that monster!" He cried, voice desperate and tinged with madness.

"Well, it's too late for you to do anything about that, so why don't you go throw yourself off a cliff or something." Kat replied coldly. Buddy hissed in agreement. Marco's crazed eyes rolled and he pointed the gun at Kat.

"You die first, whore." He snarled. The shamans all stood up, activating Oversouls, while Buddy threw himself in front of Kat, wings outstretched. But then all the sudden Marco let out a pained gurgling sound and dropped to the ground. Standing behind him was Shamash, his hand a bloody sword, and Jeanne.

"It's not justice." She whispered, eyes on the ground. Slowly the crowd inched forward. Buddy got there first and nudged Marco. His head fell to the side and they could see his eyes, dead and unseeing. Kat shook her head at the dead body.

"I have an overwhelming urge to kick him, but I think that might be in poor taste." She commented drily. Buddy cough-growled and kicked dust on the body. Kat looked at Jeanne and saw that she was quivering. "You ok?" She asked, reaching towards the younger girl. Jeanne lifted a tear-stained face and shook her head.

"Aww, hey now, it's ok." Kat moved forward and wrapped her arms around Jeanne. "It's all right." She soothed, stroking the long silvery hair. Everyone else just stood around, not sure what to do.

"Ok, what did we miss?" The familiar voice made most of them turn to watch Yoh and Hao walk towards them, strangely in sync with each other. Kat smiled at Hao as he came up, a question in his eyes.

"She killed Marco before he could kill us." She explained. "How do you feel?"

"I have a multitude of voices yammering in my head, it feels profoundly odd." Hao replied cheerfully. He looked at Jeanne with her face buried in Kat's chest, body still heaving with sobs. "Why don't we bring her back to the house?" Kat nodded in agreement.

When they got back Keiko set about making some tea for the distraught young girl as she explained why she had done what she had done. "I couldn't get it out of my head, the suggestion that what we were doing was not justice." Jeanne told Kat. Everyone was watching her with a mixed amount of confusion, veiled anger and gentle pity. "I thought about the people I'd killed simply because they refused to follow us, and thought, what had they done wrong? Marco had told me that we were the only true justice in the world and anyone against us was evil, but I started to question it, all because of a few simple words."

"Words have power." Hao suddenly said quietly. Jeanne flinched at his voice. "The right words can damn a person, or save him." Jeanne caught Hao's glance at Yoh, and saw dark sorrow mixed with tender gratitude in her old enemy's eyes.

"Do you feel a little better now?" Keiko asked, sliding a mug of tea to Jeanne. Jeanne snuffled softly.

"I feel heavy, like the souls that I've killed are weighing down inside of me." She looked up and saw Hao nod, the sorrow in his eyes deepening.

"Regret is the worst punishment, because it cannot be escaped, nor is it ever over. You live with it every moment of your life, and even after life, until the end of time. It's enough to drive anyone to depression, but somehow, you have to go on, and try to make up for the wrongs that you've done."

"How?" Hao gazed at her gravely, but then smiled.

"We change the world."

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Wolf: Review plz!


	22. Chapter 22

Wolf: Final chapter! Hope you all enjoy it, and remember, I own nothing but the plot and my crazy ocs!

Epilogue

It was surprising how fast time went by. 10 years seemed to pass in the blink of an eye and still there was little time to sit back and look on what they had done in all that time. And let's face it; they had done so much, the Asakura twins, since becoming the Shaman Kings.

They had found a way to help people change after a year or so of brainstorming. Dreams, it was as simple as that. They created a dream that took people through the worst experiences anyone could suffer, sickness, pain, starvation, you name it, and they put it in. After that the dream became what the world could be like if people were willing to change.

Once they had perfected this dream Yoh and Hao began to give it to people, not all at the same time, but eventually everyone was having the same dream, repeatedly. Results started to show after about two years. Crime rate fell, and international aid became a government priority more so than ever. People were helping each other rather than trying to shove their own way to the top all the time.

There were still problems sure, millennia of bad behaviour cannot be changed overnight, but for the most part things were starting to come together in terms of human interaction with each other and the environment. If the twins saw that things seemed to be getting out of hand again they simply allowed the dream to resurface again. It worked every time.

On the other side of things Hao and Yoh had begun working on rejuvenating all the wild places that had been desecrated or destroyed by human foolishness. They felt it was time now that humans were far more environmentally conscious and green technology had taken off. They were working in the oceans, bringing back the dead coral reefs and repopulating the oceans. This time, they hoped, it would stay the way it was.

The media called this reclamation a miracle and wondered what exactly was causing it. No one really cared though, they were simply happy that it was happening. Reviving all the places that had been destroyed would be a lifelong task, but one that Yoh and Hao both looked forward to.

And what about their lives, you ask? Anna gave up the dream of converting their house into a working inn. Having a dragon living in your backyard can do that to a person. The house was never empty though, there were always friends, or passing through shamans around and underfoot.

Hao figure out a spell that rendered Buddy invisible to humans, somewhat like how ghosts could not be seen, and so Buddy and Kat could go flying without fear of being seen. There was some talk about allowing mankind to see Buddy, but they felt that the world wasn't quite ready yet for dragons.

Anna became pregnant after the tournament and gave birth to a son with wild blonde hair and obsidian eyes. They named him Hana, and he was a ten-year old terror, always into everything and pestering anyone and everyone with ridiculous questions. He was Yoh and Anna's pride and joy.

As for Hao and Kat, they took things a little slower, but two years after meeting face to face he asked her to marry him. It doesn't need saying, but she said yes. A year and a half later a little baby girl named Lily was born to them. She was currently seven and a half years old and followed Hana around like a baby duck. He complained, but he protected her fiercely.

Lily had her mother's eyes and her father's dark, dark hair. She was just as stubborn as both of her parents and Buddy adored her. Kat developed a special child harness so that they could fly together, all three of them.

Jeanne chose to make her home with the twins and their families, discarding her old life as the Iron Maiden in favour of going to school and heading to university to be a politician. After initial wariness of Hao she became good friends with him and together they managed to grow a massive, beautiful garden in the backyard.

The rest of Yoh's friends stayed constant and true. They went about their own lives, but always gravitated back to Yoh, spending weeks at his house at random. The Hanagumi girls, who also stayed by Hao's side along with Opacho, had begun to notice Ren making eyes at Jeanne, and secretly plotted to get the two of them together.

Mikihisa and Keiko stayed at with their sons. Mikihisa stopped wearing his mask after months of Hao bugging him and was surprised by the fact that no one looked twice at the faded burn scar on his cheek. Keiko took to her role as grandmother like a duck to water.

Yohmei had not had contact with any of them since the tournament. Yoh had tried, but all he got in return were yells and threats. There were just some people who could not let go of the past.

Their lives were far from ordinary, and always hectic, but they loved it just the same. Macchi once described it as a perfect ending, but Hao disagreed. It was, in his mind, the perfect beginning.

**THE END**

Wolf: Love you all, see you soon with a brand spanking new story!


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